Media Release 28 July 2023
The Labour Green government of Christopher Hipkins has now approved unprecedented 'safe zones' of 150 metres around five major public hospitals and one private clinic. where unborn children are poisoned, sucked from their mother’s wombs or violently and painfully dismembered and their mothers wounded from government funded “abortion care”.The government is seeking to address a problem that does not exist. There is no evidence of harassment or intimidation of women seeking an abortion or of abortion staff in New Zealand. The government is seeking to control what we think, what we say and where may go by imposing unjust laws.
These “Safe Areas’ will come into force from 25th August 2023 and will criminalise any person who exercises their rights of free speech and assembly supposedly protected by the NZ Bill of Rights, within a government declared “safe area”.
This would include family of the girl or woman or anyone else who wants to offer love and support to choose life for the unborn child. The government is now processing a second round of applications for these so-called “safe areas.”
Right to Life believes that the government is endeavouring to distract the community’s attention from the real horrific violence inflicted on women and the unborn with “abortion care” in these killing centres.
“Safe areas” are intended to sustain the charade that the government is really concerned about women’s health, safety, privacy and dignity. There has been no public consultation on the applications which Right to Life believes were mostly after the demise of DHBs manufactured by the Ministry of Health.
• The government ignored the overwhelming opposition of written and oral submissions to the Health select committee. Of the 914 written submissions, 635 submissions were opposed to safe area legislation.
• The government ignored the advice of the Law Commission, who advised the Minister of Justice, Hon Andrew Little, that safe area legislation was not necessary as the Summary Offences Act addressed any potential intimidation and harassment of women and abortion staff. There was also no support for this legislation from abortion providers or staff.
• The legislation was amended to allow for the Minister of Health to designate for a “safe area”, not because it was necessary, but merely because it is desirable. Why would Parliament suppress our human rights not because of necessity but merely because it was desirable?
Right to Life believes that the imposition of safe areas by the government is motivated to:-
normalise the killing of unborn children as “health care”.
demonise and harass peaceful law-abiding citizens who are opposed to the war against women and the killing of the unborn.
distract attention away from the real intimidation and violence that is inflicted on women and their unborn in the abortion facility.
protect the abortion industry by preventing the presence of persons within a safe area offering help to a woman to choose life for her child.
Right to Life will not rest until this oppressive legislation is repealed.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.