[Greens-Media] Government Pregnancy Counselling hotline is anti-abortion Catholic Church front

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

30.05.07

Government Pregnancy Counselling hotline is anti-abortion Catholic
Church front

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle today condemned the government for funding
the Catholic Church to provide pregnancy counselling on their behalf.

"I have seen documents which indicate that an arm of the Catholic Church
will be providing the counselling on the government's pregnancy
counselling hotline. 

"The government is spending over $15 million of taxpayers money funding
the Catholic Church to advise women about what to do when they have an
unplanned pregnancy."

"The Catholic Church can not provide genuine all-options pregnancy
counselling and the government should not pretend that they can.

"My heart sinks when I think of the young women who wanting to ensure
that they receive genuine all-options pregnancy counselling mistakenly
trust the government to provide this service only to be told that they
are sinning if they even contemplate having a pregnancy termination.

"The community expressed outraged when the government announced that the
Catholic Church would be providing advice on how to run the pregnancy
counselling hotline. It now seems that they have not just been providing
advice but will be answering the phone.

"The Prime Minister and the Health Minister have put their own religious
views ahead of the health and wellbeing of Australian women.

"Worse still they are hiding their real intentions from Australian
women.

"It is now more important than ever that the private members bill that I
have co-sponsored for transparency in advertising for pregnancy
counselling services is passed so women can know who is providing them
with genuine all-options pregnancy counselling. 

"The government has failed this basic test of honesty and compassion."

Jon Edwards 0428 213 146