Media Release 1 March 2025
Right to Life asks: Will the Minister of Health follow the noble example of the Hon Frank Gill, Minister of Health in 1977, who commendably and defiantly refused to allow his Ministry to be responsible for the administration of the killing of unborn children under the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977?
Right to Life believes that the Ministry of Health should be at the forefront in protecting the life and health of the unborn and the vulnerable in our community. It should not be presiding over the killing of the unborn and the vulnerable.
Right to Life has written to the Minister of Health, Simeon Brown, and asked that he only approve the appointment a new Director General of Health, who is totally pro-life and who supports protecting the life of every member of the community from conception to natural death.
Please do not give your approval to the appointment of a candidate who supports violence against women and the killing of the unborn and the vulnerable.
Dr Diana Sarfati was appointed Director General of Health by the Public Service Commissioner on 30th November 2022 for a five year term. Dr Sarfati resigned on 14th February 2025, after giving a week’s notice.
Right to Life believes that the next Director General of Health should be someone totally committed to promoting a culture of life and opposed to a culture of death, by upholding the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
The Director General of Health presides over the administration of the killing of the unborn under the Abortion Legislation Act 2020, and the killing of the vulnerable under the End of Life Choice Act. Both of these are promoted as health services funded by the state.
Abortion and euthanasia are not health services and have no place in the Ministry of Health. They are part of the culture of death, which pollutes and corrupts our Ministry of Health. Right to Life has asked the Minister of Health to follow the noble example of the Hon Frank, Gill Minister of Health in 1977, who in defence of women and the unborn, defiantly refused to allow his ministry to be corrupted by administering the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977. Instead the Ministry of Justice administered this law.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.