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The Forum > Article Comments > Forcing compliance > Comments

Forcing compliance : Comments

By Michael Cook, published 27/10/2008

Victoria's Abortion Law Reform Bill decriminalises abortion and forces doctors with conscientious objections to refer women to doctors who will do abortions.

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A couple of comments about last night's Compass program on the changes to Victorian law.
No longer will medical practitioners be left swinging in the breeze for following their best policy.
The administrator at Royal Womens Hospital was damaged
The medical team that performed the procedure had their careers damaged
Senator Julian McGauran acted inappropriately

Only when Senator McGauran gets married or gets a woman pregnant is he justified in commenting on what to do with the foetus he fathered. I guess we will wait a long time for that to happen.

At the moment women in country Victoria notably Bendigo and Ballarat are unable to access terminations unless they travel to Melbourne. What right have doctors to sit in judgement on a woman's fertility. I assume that the state government is happy to see doctors being forced to refer women on because when there are less unwanted babies there are less delinquent children and less children in state care which is a huge saving on the public purse.
Posted by billie, Monday, 27 October 2008 8:28:42 AM
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Religionists, doctors and interfering do-gooders have been “forcing compliance” to their no-abortion rules, now Victorian law is telling them that they will no longer have the ‘power’ to dictate to individuals what they can or cannot do with their own bodies.

This should happen throughout Australia, and be extended to euthanasia.

Medical practitioners’ consciences should not be forced on anyone, and doctors merely have to refer clients to another doctor who will perform abortions. Anybody objecting to that has to be seen as blindingly arrogant in their belief that they have some right to control other people. People like that should lose their jobs if they fail to comply.

Calling this law “draconian” is laughable. There is nothing more draconian than society dictating what individuals may or may not do with their bodies.

And, bringing “human rights” into the discussion is really hyporitical. A living human being has more rights than a foetus, unborn child, or whatever these control freaks are now calling it to make the ‘crime’ of abortion sound as bad as they can.

This character can’t even see the incongruity of calling another group “…self-appointed guardian of civil liberties…” when he and his cronies have obviously appointed themselves to block the right of abortion. The author even has the gall to call the pro-choice believers “rigid”, “profoundly undemocratic”, with “totalitarian ideology”.

Hypocrisy, arrogance and mania at its worse.
Posted by Mr. Right, Monday, 27 October 2008 9:35:32 AM
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It is interesting to note that Doctors might conscientiously object but nurses may have to comply if their "boss" requires it. (If I undertsand the article correctly).

No matter our own personal beliefs, it should be recognised and accepted there may be medical personnel who conscientiously object to performing operations on moral grounds whether it be circumcision or abortion. This should be respected in a democratic society (and should include nurses).

As long as these services are distributed as best they can between regional and urban areas it should not pose a real problem. As for emergency abortions where there is a risk of death to the mother, I would hope that most doctors would take a different view and join in efforts to save the life of the mother.

But it is a complicated world. Doctors should not be "forced" to comply - and it may mean that conscientious objectors might miss out on some roles if the quota of willing surgeons was under-staffed say in some rurual areas where choice is limited - something to think about for sure.
Posted by pelican, Monday, 27 October 2008 9:38:52 AM
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It is a tad worrying when suddenly the Right to Life crowd start coming across as the moderates. Nothing more to be said really.
Posted by JL Deland, Monday, 27 October 2008 10:06:35 AM
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For once I'm in complete agreement with Mr Right. I think Michael Cook is at best being precious - and at worst being disingenuous or downright dishonest - when he claims that anti-abortion medical practitioners will be forced "to participate in abortions against their conscience" by being required to refer patients seeking an abortion to a doctor who is willing to perform one.

The act of referring a patient to another doctor could only be construed as "participating" in an abortion by someone who is so obdurately opposed to abortion that they are incapable of objective, rational thought. Who'd want to be treated by a doctor like that anyway?

As for nurses who are opposed to abortion, I imagine that they could seek employment in hospitals and medical practices where such procedures are not performed.

Michael Cook's article is simply a rather hysterically overstated case of sour grapes.
Posted by CJ Morgan, Monday, 27 October 2008 10:15:16 AM
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The new law also gives doctors who don't agree with abortion the opportunity to talk to the pregnant woman and talk her out of proceeding with the abortion, while advising her of what the alternatives are. Surely, if you're a person opposed to abortion, this has to be seen as a unintended but positive consequence arising from the legislation.
Posted by Bernie Masters, Monday, 27 October 2008 10:43:04 AM
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