CATHOLIC Health Australia (CHA) will continue to push for an inquiry into the abortion industry in Australia, despite Prime Minister John Howard’s reluctance to pursue the issue federally.
Mr Howard told Channel 9’s Sunday program last week that he had reservations about a parliamentary inquiry on the issue.
CHA chief executive officer Francis Sullivan, who has called for state health ministers to consider establishing an inquiry, said Mr Howard had a fair point.
‘However the lack of transparency [on abortion rates and practices] lulls the community into a state of ignorance about the issue,’ Mr Sullivan said.
‘One of the corrosive elements for public policy is complacenecy.’
Mr Sullivan said Mr Howard’s opposition to a parliamentary inquiry did not rule out an inquiry established by the state health ministers.
He said the inquiry CHA wanted was to seek empirical data and transparency over reporting of abortions, and transparency of financial arrangements underpinning the practice.
He said he had written to the health ministers of the states and territories, and he expected they would respond.
Respect Life Offices in three archdioceses have hailed the national debate on abortion as a chance for Australians to re-examine all options on the issue.
Offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth archdioceses issued a statement on November 11 calling for Australians to work toward eliminating all abortion, ‘rather than complacently accepting the loss of precious unborn life and the harm to women’.
Meanwhile, National Party Senator-elect for Queensland, Barnaby Joyce, who will take up his seat in July, indicated last week he probably would hold off introducing a private member’s bill on abortion.
Mr Joyce, a Catholic from St George in south-west Queensland, was outspoken against abortion during his campaign and since he was elected on October 9.
A spokesman for Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said last week the national debate was not likely to lead to a review of Queensland laws, and
State Member for Toowoomba South, Mike Horan, a Catholic and National Party veteran, also said he could not see anything happening on that front.
