Senate ‘abortion' motion withdrawn 13th Sept 2005

Leader of The Nationals in the Senate, Senator Ron Boswell, today welcomed the withdrawal of a Democrat Notice of Motion that could have been interpreted as calling for abortion on demand.

“Following strong opposition from myself and fellow National Senator Barnaby Joyce, the Democrats Leader Senator Lyn Allison has withdrawn her Notice of Motion.”

“This is a significant victory for the pro-life movement.” Senator Boswell said that the Democrat Notice of Motion used the cover of a United Nations Report on poverty to raise the issue of reproductive health rights.

“This selective editing of the report was misleading and took the focus away from the reality of poverty in third world countries.”

“My office received calls from women unhappy that abortion was being raised in this underhanded way.” Senator Boswell said that if the Senate debated abortion, it should do so in an open manner and not hide behind the smokescreen of a United Nations report on the poorest of the poor.

“Everyone supports methods of alleviating poverty in the world. Australia plays a large role in international aid efforts. But it is not right for affluent Australians to use international poverty as a way to implement their particular social agenda on abortion.”

“The Democrats wanted to use the world’s poor to make political capital over abortion.” “Abortion should not be trivialised in this way.”

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