Media Release 21 March 2024
Right to Life asks the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon what action will his government take to protect the lives of the most persecuted community, our precious children with Down syndrome?
Is the government prepared to consult with the Down syndrome community for their views on the current search and destroy programme inflicted on their community?
Lest we forget, it was This week on the 18th March 2020 that the New Zealand Parliament passed the notorious Abortion Legislation Bill which allows for the murder of unborn children up to birth including those diagnosed with Down syndrome.
We should never forget that the architect of this murderous legislation was the Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern who believed that women have a right to kill their unborn children, including those with Down syndrome up to birth.
Right to Life shares the fears of the Down community that with the passing of the extremist anti-life Abortion Legislation Act that the government’s campaign to eliminate babies before birth with Down syndrome will intensify.
It is estimated that as a result of screening and abortion on demand that 71 per cent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are now killed before birth. Between 2016 and 2020 41 babies were born with Down syndrome in New Zealand each year. It is estimated that there would be three times the number of babies with Down syndrome in New Zealand if there was no screening and abortion available.
Down syndrome awareness day was instituted by the United Nations in 2012. This year of 2024, the World Down Syndrome Day theme is 'End the Stereotypes'. This is a focus on the right of those living with Down syndrome to live without judgement. All people with Down syndrome should have full participation in decision making about matters relating to, or affecting, their lives. Right to Life totally supports the inalienable right of those with Down syndrome to be consulted on what affects their lives.
Right to Life believes that this government and previous governments support a search and destroy mission to eliminate Down syndrome not by remedying the condition but by eliminating the person with Down syndrome.
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In 2017 Saving Down’s, highlighted their concerns around Jacinda Ardern’s pledge to change abortion laws and that this would introduce abortion through to birth for babies with disabilities. In response Dame Jacinda Ardern made a commitment to not increase the time limit for disability-selective abortion.
In response to the concerns raised by Saving Downs, Jacinda Ardern said:
“They have said till 40 weeks, which is wrong, which is wrong. We have time periods already set out in law, I’m not proposing changes to that. I’m proposing it comes out of the Crimes Act.”
Sadly it appears that Dame Jacinda had broken her promise to the Down’s syndrome community and her Government brought forward a bill which, became law, and introduced disability-selective abortion through to birth.
Right to Life will not forget the betrayal of women, the unborn child and the disability community. We will not be silenced, we will not abandon the battlefield, nor will we rest until we achieve justice for women, the unborn child and those with Down syndrome.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc