LEADERS of Catholic aid and health agencies in Australia have reacted with alarm to the possibility that the Federal Government may soon fund abortion services in developing countries.
Caritas Australia chief executive officer Jack de Groot, whose agency receives about 18 per cent of its funds from the Federal Government, said “most Australians do not want the Government’s international aid program spent on procuring abortions”.
Catholic Health Australia’s (CHA) chief executive officer Martin Laverty also expressed concern at the possible change, saying that the organisation took a “deep and informed interest in the issue as many staff in Australian Catholic hospitals are also involved at times in overseas aid work”.
And Queensland Right to Life state president Teresa Martin told The Catholic Leader that the countries in crisis first of all needed fresh water and food and that “improved access to abortion is the last thing they need”.
Their comments followed reports that the Rudd Government was considering overturning the current Federal Government ban on Australian overseas aid being used to fund abortions in poor countries.
The 12-year-old policy states that AusAID funds may not be used to pay for abortion advice, training and services in developing countries.
This year, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith, a Catholic, began a review of AusAID’s family planning guidelines.
Mr Smith, who has the power to lift the restrictions without any change to legislation, has asked the Labor Caucus to debate the matter and make a recommendation on whether he should do so. A decision is expected late next month.
Mr de Groot said he disagreed with those who claimed it was a social injustice for a privileged country such as Australia to withhold abortion services from undeveloped countries.
“Poverty is the enemy in this instance – not the unborn child,” he said.
“Aid agencies have a duty to improve the high rates of poor maternal health and child morbidity in developing countries which incidentally is a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG).”
Mr Laverty said a government policy which provided overseas aids to fund abortions would be at fundamental odds with the Church’s ministry of healing.
“We shouldn’t be embarrassed as Australians about valuing human life, including that of the unborn child,” he said.
