Canberra, Australia, Nov 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Following the release of recent statistics from the state of South Australia suggesting that the majority of women who have late-term abortions due to reasons of mental health, acting Prime Minister, John Anderson, has called for a debate on Australia’s late-term abortion policy.
It is time to "welcome a wider debate to re-examine our understanding of medical science and the law," said Mr. Anderson, according to a report Dennis Shanahan and Patricia Karvelas in The Australian.
However, he also said that any change in the law would have to reflect attitudes of the community, “from the bottom up.”
Some members of Australia’s Liberal party have backed a private member’s bill outlawing late-term abortions in two of the country’s territories, and Australia’s Health Minister Tony Abbot has called on Christians to build a political constituency against abortion.