The Sunday Star Times in its latest edition makes a slanderous and libellous attack on Right to Life. In a article written by Marika Hill, titled  “Family Planning Association’s  charity status comes under fire .” The leading sentence reads:

“Anti-Abortionists are taking aim at the charity status of the Family Planning Association in their latest assault against women and pro-choice organisations.”

It is disappointing when New Zealand’s premier weekend newspaper descends to making  a libellous attack on  a national organisation that is committed to:

• seeking protection for the health and welfare of women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
• upholding the right to life of every person from conception to natural death.
• Seeking legal recognition of parental rights.

The real war on women is abortion. This libellous accusation is a diversion for the real war on women which is being conducted by Family Planning.

• In September 2012 the Association called for a national campaign to decriminalise abortion. The Association wants to remove all legal protection for the right to life of unborn children who are the weakest and most defenceless members of the human family.
•   It is always wrong to kill the innocent and the Association wants to change the law so that it is no longer a crime to kill an unborn child. The Association believes that a woman has the right to kill her child for any, or no reason, up to birth. 
• The Association wants to ignore the findings of the Royal Commission that found in 1977, that human life begins at conception and that unborn children deserved respect and the protection of the law.
• The Association is an affiliate with the International Planned Parenthood Federation approves and supports the Chinese government’s one child family policy, with forced abortions and sterilisations.

We challenge Family Planning to advise how many women considering an abortion in 2012:

• Did the Association assist to place their child for adoption?
• Did the Association assist in bringing their child to birth?
• Did the Association authorise an  abortion?

It is not an attack on women to expose the real war on women being conducted by Family Planning and the damage that is being done to our community. We will continue  to lobby Parliament for the defunding of more than $11 million per year and to be a strong vocal advocate for families and for women and their unborn children.

Ken Orr

Spokesperson,

Right to Life.