Media Release 25 March 2021
Right to Life is concerned that the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall is committed to making the killing of Maori and Pasifika unborn children more accessible and convenient. Why does the Minister believe that she can help Maori and Pasifika women by making the state funded killing of their children more accessible? Is this the best that the government of Jacinda Ardern, can do for Maori and Pacifica women?
The Minister said,” taking abortion out of the Crimes Act and making it a health service meant pathways to the clinic were far more normal, removing the stigma.” The Minister is deceiving women by trying to normalise the killing of children. Right to Life believes that calling abortion a “health service” is hate speech as it is deeply offensive and insulting to women. When will the government cease using hate speech? It is not possible to remove the stigma associated with the taking of the life of another innocent human being.
She said,” there needed to be innovative ways to deliver abortion services to women and support the health practitioners involved.”
Why does she believe that she and the government are providing a service to Maori and Pasifika by encouraging young women to kill their children before they are born?
If the government really cared about Maori and Pasifika women they would recognise the humanity of the unborn child endowed by its Creator with an inalienable right to life. The government should be providing support and encouragement to young Maori and Pacifica women to choose life for their precious child.
If the government were really concerned for the health and welfare of young women, they would be encouraging parenting, open adoption and fostering. There is not one word of encouragement from the Minister to encourage young women to choose life for their child. This government is doing absolutely nothing to promote adoption. Why does the government that promotes kindness prefer funding the killing of the child to promoting the child’s adoption into a loving home?
If the government was really concerned about young Maori women, the Minister would also be promoting solutions to the disturbingly high perinatal and maternal mortality rates that are a cause of pain for Maori. It would also be taking steps to reduce the high rate of suicide among Maori.
As a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr. Verrall is aware that the unborn child from conception is a human being and a patient that deserves respect and protection , why then is there not one mention of the unborn child in her programme?
The government arrogantly defied public opinion and removed the killing of the defenceless unborn child from the Crimes Act and made it a health service. The government did this in spite of the overwhelming opposition from the community. There were 25,000 written submissions, with 91.6 per cent opposed to abortion being taken out of the Crimes Act.
The violent killing of a defenceless and innocent unborn child has been a crime since the beginning of the human race. It will always be a crime, a violation of human rights and a crime against humanity that cries out to God for justice. The government can make as many laws as it likes, we and our children will never ever accept that the killing is now a “health service.”
Is the government concerned that the number of Maori babies killed before birth in 2018 was 2,979 having fallen from 4,250 in 2008, why else would they want to create increased access to abortion and want to encourage young Maori women to seek an early medical abortion up to nine weeks, for any reason in their own home, away from medical supervision?
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life