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It is with a deep sadness that we inform you that the committee report for the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Birth) Amendments Bill (Babies Born Alive Bill) has now been released.

Tragically, the recommendations for the Bill state the following:

‘the committee has recommended that the Bill not be passed.’

Ambiguity

We will produce an in-depth response to the 42-page document in due time. However, one standout reason for passing the Bill is stated as follows:

‘We find submissions that the Bill has the potential to negatively affect the availability of legal termination services persuasive. Some health practitioners may be reluctant to provide these health services [abortions] because of the uncertainty created by imposing additional and unnecessary legal obligations on their existing duty of care.

Creating further legal obligations around later gestation termination of pregnancy [abortions] is likely to disproportionately impact women for whom access to health services is already challenging, including Aboriginal women and Torres Strait Islander women, and women in rural and remote areas.’

In this section alone, the ambiguity is alarming, demonstrating the desperate lack of real empirical evidence:

1. They mention ‘some health practitioners’ – who are these practitioners? How many of these practitioners are there – one, two, fifty?

2. They mention, ‘creating further legal obligations around later gestation termination of pregnancy is likely to disproportionally impact women for whom access to health services is already challenging.’ — How likely? How do we measure this likeliness? Pragmatically, surely it is better to pass the Bill and then quantify this later, rather than risk putting hundreds of babies through immense distress and trauma in the final stages of their lives.

Discrimination

Here is the real issue — this report confirms once again that in Queensland, we have different guidelines and laws based on whether a child is wanted or unwanted.

In Queensland, we discriminate against unwanted children, inside the womb with abortions and the ‘Babies Born Alive’ Bills unveil that we also discriminate against unwanted babies outside of the womb. “Wantedness” should not determine the type of healthcare a baby receives. In Queensland, any child, regardless of whether they are wanted or not, should be loved and cherished.

What is next? Well, in October, you have the opportunity to make your voice heard at the ballot box. Here we are urging all people to VOTE LIFE FIRST.

At Cherish Life, we will never stop defending human life.

Finally, Cherish Life wants to publicly acknowledge the great work that Robbie Katter and the Katter Australian Party have done in putting this Bill up.

Watch the video below to see how you can help Cherish Life’s QLD Election campaign:

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