I think Houellebecq has hit the nail on the head here. I'm told that the average cost of raising a child is $250,000, so that seems like a reasonable levy for each anti-abortionist to pay into a fund for bringing up unwanted children. Alternatively. they could volunteer to adopt and raise the child as their own. What a golden opportunity to inculcate anti-abortion propaganda into children who might otherwise grow up thinking that women should have a choice about what happens to their own bodies!

But I should point out that any human being as independently viable as a baby snapper is already protected by the full force of the law.

I understand there is a severe shortage of babies for adoption, hence no need for some vindictive tax. Last trimester abortion is murder, the mother has had 6 months to get her act together.
Frankly the kill-them-all lobby remind me of the Phoenicians, even the Romans were disgusted.

6 months is too old for abortion !

Emotive article and I agree that some of the links are tenuous. However, this is an emotive topic. I must admit, it does sometimes seem as though we care for all other creatures more than we do unborn children. It's only a perception but it lingers all the same...

I am married to a midwife, so I would echo Sarah-Jane's comments. You cannot play semantics with fetus/baby/tissue, etc. What changes when the baby is "born"? Only the location, really.

As a society, we need to do a lot better by women in this situation. However, instead of doing this, we allow the termination of lives. To me, this is how society approaches difficult problems these days. EG - we can't stop illegal drugs, so let's make them legal (I am NOT comparing this to abortion, only the concept of "it's too hard, so let's allow something we really shouldn't to solve things"). I am sure I haven't worded that as well as I would like but I hope the concept is coming through.

Would I adopt a child from a women/couple who couldn't cope? Absolutely! And I'm sure I'm not alone. Abortion takes that opportunity away as well.

The statistics on abortion in Australia are horrifying. Figures are hard to come by (generally grabbed by one "side" or the other and distorted for their purposes.) However, most governments have something you can find, if you dig hard enough. Have a look at:

Google - South Australian Abortion Reporting Committee; Fourth Annual Report, 2006, Table 4a - for a start. Not cheerful reading.

I can't believe either how naive some people are, or unwilling to listen to reason. Some of the argument for abortion are ridiculous. Starting with its only a foetus, others have answered that well, but a foetus is a living human being and deserves the same right to life as you and me. A corpse is not living by the way, just in case you don't realise the difference. In fact when a mother is first pregnant she knows because her body starts changing and developing, helping the baby to grow and develop until it is big enough to be born.
The other silly argument that is always used is that so many children are already abused and neglected ( I'd be interested in real statistics here) . So you are trying to say that they are better of dead? And not having a chance at live at all?? Interestingly enough, I think you will find that the women who are more likely to neglect their children because of drug or alcohol abuse for instance, are the group LEAST likely to have an abortion.
You argue that we should raise the child - well I would love to! If I could ask a woman to keep her child and I would raise it, I would gladly do so. But once again, we all know that is not possible because adoption in this country is so restricted.
I would love to go into the hospital and care for all the babies born alive, but its not possible.
If the government did allow it, I am sure there would be 100's who would be lining up to care for unwanted babies.
But the real issue is, are these babies truly unwanted or are the women made to believe that they would be irresponsible to have a baby when they are young, when they haven't finished uni, when they are not married, when their partner doesn't want it, when they will lose their job.... The list goes on.
So please spare a few brain cells to think about this honestly and seriously.

Dear Broome,

I have thought about it honestly and seriously. In most cases a woman should have a right to terminate a pregnancy that she does not want to continue. It's her body and her life. She does not have to have a child. If she was unwise in becoming pregnant or if her situation has changed since she became pregnant she has the right to end it. What right do you and those who agree with you have to make her continue a pregnancy? Her life and what she wants to do with it are more important than the survival of a foetus. She should not have to continue a pregnancy she doesn't want to make a baby for someone else to adopt. That is my honest and serious thought.