The actual terms of the Bill weren’t known until it was put before the Parliament yesterday, Thursday. There will no doubt be commentary on its particulars over the weekend, but it is to be debated in the Legislative Council in the coming week, so time is short. You will find attached a recent statement and associated press release from Archbishop Fisher. At this stage anyone wanting to express their opposition to this bill has little option but to phone or email their local member. The specious grounds for the proposed change are that abortion is really a health issue, not appropriately dealt with by criminal law, and that restrictions to the practice infringe on women’s ‘reproductive rights’ and expose doctors to criminal prosecution for exercising their professional practice. Obviously, these arguments completely overlook the interests or rights of the child in the womb. Women whose pregnancy faces them with some form of life crisis need help and support from the community and the state, but that cannot take the form of ‘terminating’ another human being. People need to be encouraged to exercise their right as citizens to let their representatives know their view on the proposed legislation, and to do so in the next few days.