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Life

8. Abortion and the law

In 2008, the State of Victoria passed legislation which allows abortion, up until the point of birth. Furthermore, medical staff in Victoria are compelled by law to act against conscience and be complicit in abortion. More than fifty late term babies have been born alive, and left to die.

With around 14,000 abortions in Queensland each year, some have suggested what little remaining protections for the unborn should be abolished through the decriminalisation of abortion.

Will your party commit to ensuring there is no further erosion of protections in law for the unborn?

Will your party support initiatives which ensure all pregnant women considering abortion are given information about all options available to them?

Family First Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Family First Party Queensland]

• Family First recognises the personhood of the unborn from conception.

• Abortion should only be legal when it occurs as an unintended consequence of saving a mother’s life.

• All pregnant women who are dealing with an unintended pregnancy must view an ultrasound.

• Community organizations jointly funded by government should support pregnant women.

• Reform adoption laws

Family First Qld is passionate about protecting the life of all human beings, no matter how small, how old, how disabled or how weak.

Family First recognise the personhood of the unborn from conception, having a separate DNA to the mother and therefore not being subject to the mother’s choice of whether that life should be prematurely terminated.

It is Family First Qld’s position that Qld legislation should be enforced in the spirit in which it was made whereby abortion is only legal when it occurs as an unintended consequence of saving a mother’s life, not for the financial, physiological or psychological convenience of the mother.

Yes. Family First Qld also commits to ensuring ultrasounds are viewed by all pregnant women who are dealing with an unintended pregnancy. Furthermore, Family First will commit to ensuring the pregnant woman is supported by community organisations that are jointly funded by the government and the local community.

Family First Qld does not support the practice of having abortion-providing private clinics which are run for profit. If an abortion occurs, it should be a tragic event for all hospital staff involved, including the parents – It should not be a statistic on a graph for a return on investment.

Finally, Family First commits to making the adoption laws less burdensome so that women who are unable to care for their child can give them into the care of the many married couples who would gladly look after them.

Liberal National Party [View responses to all questions from the Liberal National Party]

The LNP has no policy to change abortion laws and has no intention to do so.

One Nation Queensland Division [View responses to all questions from the One Nation Queensland Division]

We would enforce abortion as a last resort for health reasons only.

Australian Labor Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Australian Labor Party Queensland]

• Labor Party members would be given a conscience vote on any abortion bill.

Decisions in relation to abortion are best made by a woman, her partner and her doctor and these decisions are ultimately private matters.

Any moves to change the current legislative provisions concerning abortion would have to be introduced as a Private Member’s Bill and we would support the Bill being subject to a conscience vote.

The Queensland Party [View responses to all questions from the The Queensland Party]

Yes, the framing of the abortion debate on the rights of women to control their own bodies is missing two sides: the rights of fathers, and the unexamined rights of women to control their bodies before they get pregnant by availing themselves of one of many methods of birth control.

In an ideal world, nobody would feel like they had to have an abortion.

Yes. The decision to abort cannot made lightly, and women need to be made aware of the potential consequences of all options open to them, including the father.

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9. Abortion statistics

South Australian law requires the collection of abortion data relating to the stage of gestation at the time of termination, the reason for the abortion and demographic information on the woman who had the abortion.

In 2008 a Senate inquiry recommended that all States collect abortion data in this manner, so accurate statistics can be kept. Will your party commit to implementing this recommendation?

Family First Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Family First Party Queensland]

Family First commits to keeping accurate statistics about all medical procedures that result in abortion, as well as the reasons why it occurred.

Liberal National Party [View responses to all questions from the Liberal National Party]

Yes, the LNP will consider the findings of a 2008 Senate Inquiry that recommends all States collect abortion data.

One Nation Queensland Division [View responses to all questions from the One Nation Queensland Division]

Yes.

Australian Labor Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Australian Labor Party Queensland]

• Data is already collected.

• Individual hospitals are already able to report their own statistics.

Data is collected by Queensland Health Statistics Team as part of the admitted patient data collection.

This is standard procedure for all admissions and procedures and is part of making sure that appropriate resources are allocated.

The Health Statistics Centre has admitted patient data for all hospitals in Qld, and individual hospitals would also be able to report on their own admissions.

The Queensland Party [View responses to all questions from the The Queensland Party]

Yes, these statistics can help in the public debate of this very important issue.

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10. Surrogacy

Research shows that the wellbeing of children across a range of indicators is greater when raised by their biological mother and father. Although many children are left motherless or fatherless through tragedy or desertion, children should at least be given the opportunity to start life with a mum and a dad and not be deliberately denied this human right.

Will your party repeal the laws allowing same-sex couples and single people to access children through surrogacy?

Family First Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Family First Party Queensland]

• Would repeal surrogacy laws for singles and same-sex couples.

• The right to a mum and dad should not be legislated away from a child.

Family First Qld recognises the central links between marriage, procreation and parenting as the most stable format for society and the best environment for children to be raised. Any laws allowing same-sex couples and single people access to children through surrogacy would be repealed by Family First.

A child deserves a mother and a father and although this tragically does not always continue for a child, the right to a mum and dad should not be legislated away from a child.

Liberal National Party [View responses to all questions from the Liberal National Party]

The LNP believes in building strong families in order to reduce poor outcomes for child welfare. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the use of altruistic surrogacy is fulfilling its intended objectives.

One Nation Queensland Division [View responses to all questions from the One Nation Queensland Division]

Most definitely.

Australian Labor Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Australian Labor Party Queensland]

• The Bligh Government introduced the legislation and supports the Act in the current form.

The Surrogacy Act 2010 (the Act) commenced on 1 June 2010 and provides a legal mechanism for the transfer of parentage of a child from the birth mother to intended parents of the child under an altruistic surrogacy arrangement.

The Act allows a couple (same or opposite sex) or a single person to be the intended parent/s of the child under the parentage order. Surrogacy arrangements involve private arrangements made between individuals about how families are formed.

The Bligh Government introduced the legislation and supports the Act in the current form.

The Queensland Party [View responses to all questions from the The Queensland Party]

The Queensland Party would like to see more research on the health and well being of children before supporting same sex couples to seek medical intervention to bear children.

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11. Euthanasia

Evidence shows that euthanasia puts some of society's most vulnerable people at risk. A 2010 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal cites that in Belgium as many as 1 in 3 doctor assisted deaths are performed without an explicit request from the patient.

Will your party commit to ensuring that euthanasia is not legalised in Queensland?

Family First Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Family First Party Queensland]

• Supports all human life.

• Death can orrcur as an unintended by-product of effective palliative care.

• Life support machines could be turned off.

As stated previously, Family First commits to protect the life of all humans, from conception until natural death. This does not mean that death would not occur as an unintended by-product of effective palliative care, or that a life support machine could not be turned off.

Liberal National Party [View responses to all questions from the Liberal National Party]

The LNP does not support voluntary euthanasia and has no intention of introducing legislation to allow for this.

We will be announcing our health plan in the course of this election.

One Nation Queensland Division [View responses to all questions from the One Nation Queensland Division]

Not without more study.

Australian Labor Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Australian Labor Party Queensland]

Neither voluntary euthanasia nor assisted suicide is permitted in Queensland. The Queensland Government has no plans to amend the law.

The Queensland Party [View responses to all questions from the The Queensland Party]

• Would require a referendum on euthanasia.

Euthanasia should be publicly and fully debated before any changes to the law are made. Any changes to the law should be based on a referendum, so that on issues of life and death, the public has a fully informed say in the matter.

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12. Palliative care

Palliative care provides patients suffering from terminal illness with expert care and pain management.

What measures will your party take to ensure greater access to palliative care for patients suffering from a terminal illness, particularly in rural and regional areas?

Family First Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Family First Party Queensland]

• Palliative care is grossly underfunded in Queensland.

• Increase palliative care funding by at least $40 million.

• Increase awareness of end of life issues and access to counseling and bereavement support.

Palliative care is grossly underfunded in the State of Queensland compared to other states.

Family First would support a major increase in funding by at least $40 million (possibly over a few years) to increase the numbers of specialist palliative care workers and volunteer co-ordinators and to have much greater access to services than is currently available in Queensland.

An education program to increase awareness of end of life issues as well as improved access to counselling and bereavement support should be incorporated into the Palliative Care policies of government.

Liberal National Party [View responses to all questions from the Liberal National Party]

The LNP is committed to improving Queensland’s health system that has been allowed to fall behind under this tired 20 year old Labor Government.

One Nation Queensland Division [View responses to all questions from the One Nation Queensland Division]

Palliative care for those in need should be available by right.

Australian Labor Party Queensland [View responses to all questions from the Australian Labor Party Queensland]

• Spent $51.8m on admitted public hospital sub-acute palliative care in 2010/11

• Queensland Health proposes to provide funding to increase 44 beds/bed equivalents over the next three years.

Labor believes Palliative Care is an intrinsic component of health & human service care delivery. Queensland Health provides in-patient palliative care as well as services to persons in the community.

An estimated $51.8m was expended on the provision of admitted public hospital sub-acute palliative care in Queensland in 2010/11, which is an increase of more than $8m from the previous financial year. In addition, Commonwealth and state funding provided to Queensland Health for non-hospital based palliative care services in 2011-12 is more than $17m.

This government has increased the number of admitted patient episodes for palliative care in Public Acute Hospitals by 66% since 2004/05 and non-admitted occasions of service for palliative care more than threefold since 2006/07.

Additionally, through the National Partnership Agreement (NPA) on Improving Public Hospital Services, Queensland Health proposes to provide funding to increase 44 beds/bed equivalents and a total of $47 million for palliative care services in both hospital and community settings to be made available over the next three years.

The Queensland Party [View responses to all questions from the The Queensland Party]

Our aging demographic is expected put a strain on existing resources which deliver health care and palliative care. The Queensland Party would like to see the results of the Senate Inquiry into Palliative Care, and read submissions from those organisations such as PCQ which are involved in the advocacy of such services.