Women’s Health Action Trust (WHAT) and NZ Family Planning in Breach of Charities Act?

Monitoring & Investigations,

Internal Affairs – Charities,

PO Box 30112,

Lower Hutt 5040.

Dear Sir/Madam

Complaint- Women’s Health Action Trust & New Zealand Family Planning Association.

I wish to lodge a complaint against the Women’s Health Action Trust [WHAT] and the New Zealand Family Planning Association both of which are registered charities. The complaint is that they are in breach of the Charities Act by virtue of the fact they are engaged in a major political campaign.

In May 2012 the WHAT produced a document laying out the path to achieve the decriminalisation of abortion in New Zealand. This document was prepared after meetings in Melbourne and Hobart, Australia.

On 28th September 2012 the Family Planning Association issued a media release stating that Family Planning, the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand and the Women’s Health Action Trust were conducting a national campaign to have abortion, the killing of unborn children decriminalised.

It is the view of this Society that it is a breach of the Charities Act for these two registered charities to be engaged in conducting a major national campaign to have the law changed to remove legal protection for the human rights of unborn children in New Zealand.

The proposed national campaign would entail considerable lobbying of Members of Parliament and activating the community to support the campaign. The proposed change in the law would entail removing legal protection for the right to life of unborn children, the weakest and most defenceless members of the human family. It would also expose vulnerable women with an unplanned pregnancy to increased coercion, exploitation and abandonment by the father of the child.

It is mentioned that Right to Life has not written to these organisations to express our concern that they are in our Society’s view in breach of the Charities Act. Should you wish to contact me my phone number is 03 3856111 and my email address is admin@righttolife.org.nz

Right to Life recognises the right of these organisations to seek a change in the law concerning the killing of children in the womb. We do not, however, believe that they may promote this change in the law while still enjoying the status of a registered charity. In  support of this complaint  I have enclosed a copy of the document, A Road Map to Abortion Law Reform and a copy of the media release made by the Family Planning Association launching the campaign by the Association, WHAT and the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand.

Yours sincerely

Ken Orr

Secretary