The Manager,
Radio NZ,
Dear Sir
Complaint – Family Planning Investing in Contraception in Keribati
I wish to lodge a formal complaint against the interview of Amelia Langford of Jacob Daube and Dr Christine Roke of the New Zealand Family Planning Association. Also included was Suzanne Ehlers, the President, and CEO of Population Action International. The interview was aired on Monday morning, the 3 November, 2013, on the Dateline Pacific programme. My complaint is that the interview breached Principle [d] of the Code of Practice for free to air radio. The principle that when controversial issues of public importance are discussed, reasonable efforts are made or reasonable opportunities are given, to present significant points of view, either in the same programme or in other programmes within the period of current interest.
The programme featured members of the international population control movement and their intention to change the culture in Kiribati to accept contraception and abortion. It is readily acknowledged that Kiribati has a serious demographic problem that is however not going to be solved with contraception, sterilisation and abortion. It is contended that with contraception Family Planning and its allies are exerting pressure on the government to decriminalise abortion to be available as a backup for so called failed contraceptives.
Abortion, the killing of a defenceless and innocent unborn child, is violence against women and her unborn. In Kiribati abortion is unlawful and is only permitted to save the life of the mother. There are many people in Kiribati who are opposed to abortion being decriminalised.
Kiribati is a country that has a 50 per cent Catholic population. Both contraception and abortion are part of a culture of death and are opposed by a majority of the population. It is acknowledged that at the end of the programme it was briefly mentioned that the Catholic Church was opposed to contraception.The programme failed to explain why the Catholic Church was opposed to the programme of Family Planning.
It is noted that the Family Planning programme was being funded by New Zealand foreign aid. There are many people in this country who are totally opposed to our taxes being used to promote contraception, sterilisation and abortion in Kiribati and other Pacific neighbours. There was no mention of this fact in the programme.
In conclusion the message of this programme was that Family Planning was doing a fantastic job and that we should be grateful and full of admiration for their contribution to the welfare of the people of Kiribati. The programme was a public relations coup and free advertising for Family Planning and its allies.
Yours sincerely
Ken Orr
Secretary
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