Why ALRANZ Hearts the Abortion Supervisory Committee

On 7 April, ALRANZ responded to the Parliamentary appointment of Dr. Tangimoana Francis Habib to the Abortion Supervisory Committee (background here),

“The Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (ALRANZ) is relieved that the third position on the Abortion Supervisory Committee (ASC) has finally been filled after the announcement in July 2010 that Dr Rosemary Fenwicke would not seek reappointment. ALRANZ was concerned that with only two people on the Committee, there was limited capacity to perform the core functions of the ASC.”

Isn’t that nice. ALRANZ was concerned that the ASC was struggling to carry out its job. The ASC is the Parliament-appointed body (a three-person committee) which is tasked with overseeing the application of New Zealand’s abortion law. Who are these individuals? Until recently, Dr. Rosemary Fenwicke, a practicing abortionist child-killer, and a long history of working for the pro-abortion Family Planning Association of NZ (International Planned Parenthood affiliate). There’s Dame Linda Holloway, formerly Pro Vice-Chancellor of health sciences at Otago University. Completing the trio is “Reverend” Patricia Ann Allan, the Presbyter of Durham Street Methodist Church in Christchurch.

But that’s not all there is to it. Serving on the ASC’s “Quality Improvement Unit” are abortionist Dr. Peter Stone and abortion clinic worker, Nurse Ann Simmons. Stone is a long-time ally of Dame Margaret Sparrow, and one of the six officers of Istar, the only company which imports the abortion drug RU486 into our country. Surprise surprise, of the officers of this company, three (possibly four) are or have been child-killers.

Let’s hear what former research officer for ALRANZ, Craig Young thinks of the recent Abortion Supervisory Committee debacle,

“In this case, it was the incrementalist tactic. Anti-abortion Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia moved a motion in defence of the appointment of Dr Ate Moala to the Abortion Supervisory Committee. In the last Parliament, former Kiwi Party MP Gordon Copeland did likewise- as one might guess, Dr Moala is a fundamentalist Christian and anti-abortionist, speaker at the anti-abortion “All for Life” Conference held by the conservative Catholic ‘Family Life International’ group in Nelson last year.”

The official ALRANZ position is “we’re relieved that the ASC is fully-staffed now.” The reality however, lies somewhere beneath the surface of this magnanimous claim. Dr. Ate Moala is amply qualified to serve on the Committee. Oh wait, no she’s not – she’s pro-life, and that disqualifies her – at least in the eyes of the members of Parliament who voted against pro-life hero Tariana Turia’s amendment to bring her onboard.

It may turn out that Habib is pro-life, or at least not as strongly supportive of abortion as Holloway, Fenwicke and Allan. But ALRANZ is definitely hugely relieved that outspoken defender of the pre-born, Dr. Ate Moala was not appointed to the Committee. ALRANZ can catch its breath, they still have their good friends and allies on the pro-abortion Abortion Supervisory Committee.