Andrew Leigh

SUPPORTING SAFE ACCESS ZONES

Federation Chamber, 25 June 2018

No woman makes the decision to terminate a baby lightly. It is a decision best made in consultation with a medical practitioner and one which involves significant stress.

This is why safe access zones have been established in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. They reflect the history of women being harassed by anti-abortion protesters as they've sought to enter an abortion clinic.

We know in 2001 that security guard Steve Rogers was shot and killed outside an abortion clinic in East Melbourne by anti-abortion zealot Peter James Knight.

Yet today in the Senate we've seen Senator Anning moving a motion, which was supported by a number of coalition senators, to get rid of safe zones, to strike down safe zones. It is my understanding that among the coalition senators that voted for this were Senator McGrath, Senator Bushby, Senator Fawcett, Senator Macdonald, Senator Abetz, Senator Molan, Senator Seselja, Senator Gichuhi, Senator Canavan and Senator O'Sullivan.

These senators do not understand the value of safe zones in ensuring that women have the right to choose.

ENDS
 
Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra