Natasha must be really struggling to find political relevance. As the Australian Democrats spokesperson for the Status of Women, she seems even less effective than she was as party leader. Well, perhaps that’s what becoming a mother does to a woman, and precisely why we need the one-phone-call, no-mucking-about, one-stop-shop abortion clinics.

Natasha may have missed her chance for a Mark Latham exit from politics when she lost leadership, but for all I know, that may be just another one of those in-your-face, “I’m gonna stick around and make your constituent lives miserable” type of woman’s choice. To think that her dilemma of whether to embrace the home-parent concept as so eloquently espoused by Latham, or leave the bearpit altogether, could have been totally prevented by dialling the correct pregnancy hotline in a more honestly organised Yellow Pages, is frankly, a little sad

"My Body, My Choice" theme giving the final decision to abort a child to the mother and so can go on her own to one of these services for referral is what is now happening.

Unfortunately, under rules of assessing matters of particular importance in this situation, other particulars of equal or more value are discarded like the life of the child and the father's choice and society values. Once a woman becomes pregnant 'my body, my choice' rule of when non-pregnant no longer fully applies as she was fully aware of the consequences of pregnancy when she placed herself at risk of it. (If it argued then mistakes happen, yes but it does not go enough to justify taking of a life).

I think what is needed is a very strong deterrent to prevent pregnancy and which currently not in place allowing a pregnant women to abort and get back to her life without any consequences which is not right either. I think once it is in place then the unwanted pregnancy rates should fall dramatically. (illustrative example is that if there was no repercussion as deterrent to murder then the incidents of murder would dramatically rise).

Law makers time to rise and make a stand.

Sam

Stott Destroyer has come out from under her perpetually ineffectual rocks to dain us with her cliched political rhetoric. Not sure if she realises, given the termainal state of the Democraps and the present goverments senate majority, she is just yelling into the void.

Ah well, gotta keep up the practice, less she forgets how to ride that bike in the highly unlikey event that she actaully gets some real power in the future.

But it makes for a bit of fun internet opiniating cum entertainment.

I am uncertain why the Senator, or any reasonably intelligent person, would think a "Pregnancy Help" organisation would advocate abortion. There is little help to or with the pregnancy in ending it. There is no other medical procedure with a death rate of over 50 per cent of those undergoing it; fatal almost invariably to the baby & occasionally to the mother.
Much is made of 'choice' but it seems largely ignored that in making a choice I also choose whatever consequences, direct or indirect, short term or long term, come from that choice.Never do we have All the facts and rarely do we have the wisdom to act appropriately.
Despite the Senator's statement, there is NO proof, in any general use of the word 'proof', that breast cancer and/or mental illness are unrelated to a previous abortion. Failure to 'prove' such a link is vastly different from proving there isn't any such link.
Either the Senator was grossly misinformed, is ignorant of current research, or is indulging in semantics. That many within the Medical Profession stoutly deny even the possibility of any connection 'proves' absolutely NOTHING. There are any number of reasons why, for those who perform abortions or have recommended same, or have prescribed prolonged use of 'female hormones', fervent denial of any link is an action 'devoutely to be wished'.
Consequentless sex, favoured by most 'pro-choice' advocates has been a
social disaster; perhaps because sex without love leads to boredom, boredom leads to perversion which in turn leds to violence.
Overall abortion is no advantage to either sex; least to women.
Arthur. 2/10/005

I would agree with some previous posters that the term “choice” is probably just another term for “abortion”. Similarly terms such as “pre-birth life form”, ”product of conception”, “foetal matter”, ”clump of cells” etc are terms used instead of “human foetus”. One has to also suspect that the term “pregnancy counselling” can simply become another term for arranging an appointment for an abortion

Under the heading:-“What do I need to bring to my appointment?” one abortion clinic advises the following :-

· your Medicare card;
· personal identification (this can be items such as your driver's licence or two credit or bank cards);
· any notes you were given by your GP (a doctor's referral letter is required in the state of Western Australia);
· cash, credit or eftpos card; etc
http://www.mariestopes.com.au/frequently_asked_questions/abortion_faqs#bring

This organisation operates in Australia, but is a “UK-based registered charity”. However words such as “Medicare card”, “bank card”, “cash”, “eftpos card” etc are at the top of the list of essential items to bring, and obviously they don’t carry out abortions for free.

This organisation carried out a survey of doctors in 2004
http://www.mariestopes.com.au/.../823/4232/file/General%20Practitioners%20-%20Attitudes%20to%20Abortion.pdf

Some of the results of that survey were :-
-84% of Australian GPs believe all women should have access to termination services

However it was also found that
“-37% of Australian GPs do not feel they fully understand the abortion laws in their state or territory”

When this was actually tested, it was further found that of those doctors who believed they understood the abortion laws, many didn’t when they were questioned on it, and in the case of minors

-“Only 25% of GPs are aware of laws in their state / territory regarding the provision of abortion services to minors”

So, many doctors were not fully conversant with abortion laws, even though they gave out referrals. In terms of legality, those pregnancy counselling services which do not give out referrals for abortion are probably operating well within the law, but doctors and pregnancy counselling services that do provide referrals, may not be operating within the law at all.

Oh, Arthur, a foetus isn't a baby! So don't worry, an abortion is not the death of a baby. Geez, I can't imagine what it was like for you to have been thinking that...but now you know, so it's ok. Phew! Not a baby.

"Consequentless sex, favoured by most 'pro-choice' advocates has been a social disaster.."
Really? News to me. I must have been missing the newspapers that reported all of this disastrousness. And here I was thinking things were ok! Man, I must have been lucky to avoid (and not even hear about) all of this disaster throughout my years of sex without love.

‘Overall abortion is no advantage to either sex; least to women.’
I was unaware it was thought to give any ‘advantage’. It’s not vitamin supplements. It’s done, unfortunately, out of necessity.

And don’t worry Arthur, yes there are risks with abortion, but these days they are very low, as long as the practice is done in a safe, clean, legal environment. Which means it’s a good thing it’s legal, otherwise people would of course be forced to go to underground places which may not be as safe, right? Right.