Australian government aid organisations have, for a decade, been unable to fund groups that give abortion advice – it was a trade-off for the conservative government to win the vote of a rightwing religious nutter in the Senate. (And yes, there was more than a little American influence there.)
Finally, however, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended the policy be dropped.
“It’s repugnant, it’s an insult to women. I think that is just absolutely an insult,” a Liberal [conservative in Australia’s odd political vocab]MP and doctor, Mal Washer, told the ABC.
“What is even more ridiculous or more repugnant is that we’re saying in these guidelines that if you go and have an illegal abortion where there is a 13 per cent chance of death on average and you happen to survive, we’re happy to give you counselling.
“Well, that’s good for those who didn’t die but for the 13 per cent, I think counselling dead people is pretty difficult.”
Of course this is only advice, and it is the Howard government… although hopefully not for long.
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