Call to ban gender selection abortions

#969 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 28 Sep 2014.

One of the tragic aspects of advances in reproductive technology, and one of the strongest indictments on our ruthless consumer culture, is the increasing trend among couples for gender selection abortion.

This is not a problem limited to China and India. Melbourne Dr Mark Hobart faces sanction under Victorian abortion laws for declining to refer a couple who wanted their baby girl aborted so they could try again for a boy.

The Australian Christian Lobby has called for support of a bill introduced by Senator John Madigan to ban Medicare funding of gender selection abortions.

ACL managing director, Lyle Shelton, said

While the practice itself should be banned by State Governments who have responsibility for abortion law, the least the federal parliament can do within its powers is ensure the taxpayer does not pay for it.

We couldn’t agree more. The practice is abhorrent and unjust, and should be banned.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.