Media Release 28th September 2019

Right to Life with deep regret believes that our appointed leader Jacinda Ardern has forfeited her right to the trust of the people of New Zealand and her right to lead this nation. Those who govern do so with the permission of the governed. We the citizens of this nation have an inalienable right to demand that our leaders act with integrity and moral rectitude.

Jacinda Ardern pledged to provide openness and accountability in government and had it enshrined in the coalition agreement. Why then is she refusing to answer questions on statements she has made in public?

The first duty of our Prime Minister is to uphold the inalienable right to life of every member of our community from conception to natural death and not to preside over our destruction. In this she has failed.

Right to Life agrees with the Prime Minister when she said on 24 September 2018, “Our success as leaders should be judged on no lesser standard than the well-being of children.”

Jacinda Ardern has betrayed the disability community. In 2017 she made a promise to the disability community in response to concerns expressed by the Saving Down’s advocacy group that the new abortion bill would remove the current 20 week prohibition and allow abortions up to birth for foetal abnormality. The Prime Minister responded, “They have said till 40 weeks, which is wrong, which is wrong. We have time periods already set out in law, I am not proposing changes to that. I am proposing it comes out of the Crimes Act.”

Right to Life asks the Prime Minister why she has directed that the Abortion Legislation Bill allow for the killing up to birth, of children who may have a disability, including Down syndrome? The current abortion legislation under the Crimes Act allows for the killing of a child before birth up to 20 weeks “where there is a substantial risk that the child, if born, would be so physically or mentally subnormal as to be seriously handicapped.” Down syndrome is considered a mild to moderate disability and Right to Life therefore protests at the killing of any of these special children who are gift to the community.

The Down syndrome community are the most persecuted community in New Zealand. According to information provided by the Minister of Health under the Official Information Act, in 2017 there were only 47 children born with Down syndrome.  It is estimated that there were 56 babies with Down syndrome who were killed before birth in 2017. Between 2009 and 2017 it is estimated that 694 children with Down syndrome were killed before birth in abortions in New Zealand.

Right to Life wrote to the Prime Minister on 26 August and asked the following questions;

• Why the Abortion Legislation Bill does not conform to the public assurance made by you to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks for foetal abnormality?

• Do you agree that with the statement of the Minister of Justice, Andrew Little, “I reject the notion that abortion entailed killing another human being and I accept on legal and on moral grounds that human rights do not accrue until human life is possible?”

The Prime Minister refused to answer and had her Correspondence Manager write to us on 3 September to say,”Thank you for writing to Jacinda, the matters that you raise have been noted.” Her response is deplorable and unacceptable.

The Prime Minister has failed the unborn children of New Zealand. Right to Life believes that Andrew Little’s appalling statement was made with the approval of the Prime Minister. We also contend that she believes that abortion does not kill a human being and that human rights do not assure until the baby is born. In holding this untenable and unjust position she has betrayed future generations of our children and their mothers. Her ardent promotion of her Abortion Legislation Bill is anti-life and anti-feminists.

Never before has New Zealand had a Prime Minister who is so antagonistic to women and their unborn.

Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to Life