Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

‘Abortion Rethink’ campaign launches in response to proposed bill

byMark Bowling
12 May 2016 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Dr Katrina Neal

Supporting women: Greenslopes GP Dr Katrina Neal spoke out against the proposed Queensland abortion bill at a campaign launch on May 12.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Dr Katrina Neal
Supporting women: Greenslopes GP Dr Katrina Neal spoke out against the proposed Queensland abortion bill at a campaign launch on May 12.

THE Australian Family Association has launched a public campaign urging Queenslanders to pressure their state MP’s not to support a proposed abortion bill.

The AFA said newly commissioned polling showed more voters were opposed to decriminalising abortion than were in favour and used the campaign to announce the results.

The poll was a response to a proposal for a private members bill tabled by Cairns-based parliamentarian, Rob Pyne last Tuesday, aimed at legalising abortion for women up to nine months pregnant.

Both major parties – Labor and LNP – have said they would allow MP’s a conscience vote on the issue.

AFA vice president Angela Duff, along with other community members and specialists concerned about reforms to abortion laws, has urged Queenslanders to voice their opposition to their local MP’s, while the bill is considered by a parliamentary committee, and before the bill is debated in Parliament.

The process could take months but the campaign speakers warned against passing “rushed” proposals.

“We believe it’s important for the government not to rush this legislation when there are literally lives at stake as a result of it,” Mrs Duff said.

“MP’s need to consult with the community and get their views and not rush an issue such as this without consulting widely.”

Angela Duff
Rethinking abortion: Australian Family Association vice-president Angela Duff urges Queensland MPs to speak with voters before deciding on the proposed abortion bill.

Ms Duff, who is 12-weeks pregnant with her third child, said market researcher Galaxy Research had conducted comprehensive polling through a telephone survey that indicated there was no consensus for the abortion law to be changed, except to introduce safeguards for women such as independent counselling, cooling-off periods and parental consent – as well as conscientious objection provisions for doctors and nurses.

“This research shows that the majority of Queenslanders (53 per cent) either want the law to stay as it is, or are in favour of making it stricter, with 39 per cent of voters wanting it less restrictive,” Mrs Duff said.

Related Stories

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

Biden condemns violence, threats after churches and Supreme justices’ homes targeted over abortion row

Crowds gather in Washington as US court appears ready to strike down landmark case that legalised abortion

“Similarly, 49 per cent of Queensland voters do not want abortion decriminalised, while 43 per cent are in favour of decriminalisation.”

This contrasts with recent claims by the pro-abortion lobby that there is 80 per cent support for such a move.

“Of course decriminalisation would mean abortion was legal for any reason until birth. That is the model for the pro-abortion lobby,” Mrs Duff said.

“With 13 specific, objectively-worded questions, this comprehensive research has avoided skimming the surface of the issue as most past polls have done and has drilled down to find out what the Queensland public really believes.”

Other key poll findings included:

  • almost every respondent (94 per cent) believed that before having an abortion a woman should receive free independent counselling and information so that she could make a fully informed decision
  • more than four out of five (84 per cent) of Queensland voters believe that abortion could harm the mental and/or physical health of a woman.
  • “When asked “up to what stage of pregnancy would you allow abortion”, 22 per cent of Queensland voters said “not at all” and 50 per cent said only in the first three months – meaning 72 per cent of Queensland voters are opposed to abortion past the first trimester. An overwhelming majority (85 per cent) of voters are opposed to abortion past 20 weeks, with only six per cent in favour.

A copy of the full report is available here at the Abortion Rethink website.

Full details about the campaign are available at www.abortionrethink.org.

 

By Mark Bowling

ShareTweet
Previous Post

A dentist’s insight into domestic violence

Next Post

Toowoomba muso Josh Arnold strikes a chord with Catholic schools

Mark Bowling

Mark is the joint winner of the Australian Variety Club 2000 Heart Award for his radio news reporting in East Timor, and has also won a Walkley award, Australia’s most-respected journalism award. Mark is the author of ‘Running Amok’ that chronicles his time as a foreign correspondent juggling news deadlines and the demands of being a husband and father. Mark is married with four children.

Related Posts

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport
QLD

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

16 May 2022
Biden condemns violence, threats after churches and Supreme justices’ homes targeted over abortion row

Biden condemns violence, threats after churches and Supreme justices’ homes targeted over abortion row

10 May 2022
Crowds gather in Washington as US court appears ready to strike down landmark case that legalised abortion

Crowds gather in Washington as US court appears ready to strike down landmark case that legalised abortion

4 May 2022
Next Post
Josh Arnold

Toowoomba muso Josh Arnold strikes a chord with Catholic schools

Q&A with Eric Abetz

Domestic violence

Domestic violence knows no boundaries

Popular News

  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict
News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

by Mark Bowling
19 May 2022
0

POPE Francis met members of the Chemin Neuf Political Fraternity this week, offering the young group some...

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

18 May 2022
Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

18 May 2022
Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

18 May 2022
Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping