Page 3856 - Week 12 - Thursday, 29 October 2015
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I understand that for those who protest it is based on a deeply held matter of conscience. I am a strong supporter of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. However, protest can occur in a respectful way, particularly on such a sensitive personal and emotional issue. There are many spaces in Canberra where people can protest lawfully, such as here, outside the Assembly. I repeat my request that those who disagree with termination services being available in our health centres direct their concerns at the policymakers.
More broadly on the principle, both personally and as the Minister for Women, I am a strong supporter of the right of women to access a range of family planning and reproductive health services, including the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. ACT Labor has held this view for many years, including through times in the past when it was far more controversial as a mainstream issue than it is today. We remain strong in our belief that women must have these rights, and I believe the vast majority of the Canberra community expects the same.
I would like to thank Mr Rattenbury and Mr Corbell for their work on this important legislation. I appreciate the opposition engaging with the debate, but we cannot support an amendment that would allow for protests to continue directly outside health clinics. Their amendment would weaken the law substantially. As Minister Corbell said, the termination of a pregnancy is legal in the ACT. When people seek to access our health systems, we put their needs first.
I had my own personal experience at the health clinic when my daughter was accessing a hearing test and having to walk past the prayer groups that were outside the health clinic on that day. My daughter said to me—and she was seven years old—“Who are those people? They look scary.” And they do; they do look scary, Madam Speaker.
As a government we have the ability to provide the privacy, support and understanding that women need, whilst also facilitating a broader and respectful debate about this. I am very pleased to support this bill today.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (12.21): I rise to say that this is an issue of balance. That has been a point raised by the speakers to date, and it is important that we do get the balance right regarding the various rights that are engaged by Mr Rattenbury’s bill. As Ms Berry, Ms Fitzharris and the minister have alluded to, there is the balance between rights under health legislation as well as those of freedom of speech. I indicate that we will be moving an amendment that seeks to find that balance and certainly address for us some of the issues that are engaged with regard to free speech.
This bill engages a number of very fundamental issues. It raises issues of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to protest. It also raises the issues of privacy and protection from harassment. All of these are fundamentally important issues. But I want to raise issues that are important to me as well: respect and tolerance.
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