Media Release 23 December 2022
Right to Life is concerned that the government is intending to impose safe areas around abortion facilities in a veil of secrecy by excluding the community from consultation and suppressing information.
The Prime Minister stated before the general election in 2017 that New Zealand was going to have the most accountable and most transparent government we had ever had.
Right to Life believes that the actions of the Ministry of Health, do not support that commitment.
In October 2022 Right to Life wrote to the Ministry of Health and asked under the Official Information Act for the following information:-
The names of the abortion providers who have made application for a “safe area” around their abortion facilities?
The names of the abortion facilities subject to an application for a “safe area ”designation?
A copy of the grounds and alleged violations of harassment and intimidation supporting the above applications for a “safe area”
The Ministry replied on 3rd November. “Any decisions on future Safe Areas are part of an active legislative process. Once any Safe Area is granted this information will be publicly available.”