October 11, 2008

Abortion is now legal in the state of Victoria, Australia, after a 35 year campaign to remove it from the Crimes Act. Described by the Archbishop of Melbourne as an unprecedented attack on the freedom to hold and exercise fundamental religious beliefs, the Catholic Church, which operates 15 hospitals in Victoria, singled out for particular opposition a section requiring a doctor who was against abortion to provide a referral for their patient.

Following the Upper House vote that ensured the bill became law, pro-life forced pregnancy activists heckled and threatened from the public gallery, and resulted in the Upper House President demanding to know why security had not yet removed them. "Where is the security? Remove her any way. For God's sake do your job. Jesus. F---ing bananas. Amateur hour up here." I think it's heartening to see that the law is written to require doctors to refer patients . and that "fucking bananas" was dropped in the upper house

posted by polychrome 15 years ago
  • Monkeyfilter: Jesus. F---ing bananas!
  • "Where is the security? Remove her any way. For God's sake do your job. Jesus. F---ing bananas. Amateur hour up here." Y'know, I think we'd all be better off it more politicians would be that blunt when it's called for.
  • This is excellent news. Not that I like the need to abort a child for any reason. But when there is a need, I think having that option be legal is essential.
  • "abort a child"???
  • 'Terminate an unwanted / impractical / physically or mentally dangerous pregnancy after careful consideration and with the help and guidance of medically trained professionals and all within the confines of the law and morals of the country in which you live' They meant to say...
  • This semantics thing is what gets us in trouble. You don't "abort a child" you abort an embryo. It's not a child at >three months.