Unlike the last session, where MPs stayed voting until 1 am, the voting wrapped up at 10.30 pm.

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"ALRANZ is joined by five individual complainants whose experiences illustrate how New Zealand's current abortion laws discriminate against women and pregnant people, resulting in hurt feelings, loss of dignity and cruel, degrading and disproportionately severe treatment," said ALRANZ national president Terry Bellamak.

A Human Rights Commission spokesperson says it cannot comment on the case.

"It is not possible for us to speculate on the timing of a case that is currently before a judicial body but the indications are that it could be quite a while before the matter is heard by the Tribunal."

However, the spokesperson pointed out that the United Nations has repeatedly called for states to remove abortion from their criminal laws, remove regulatory and administrative barriers that impede women's access to safe abortion services, and provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services to women.

"Going before the Tribunal could mean each of the six women may have to give evidence," Bellamak says.

"It will be a couple of years before the case is heard at this point, so we've got a bit of time to see how law reform works in practice and whether it addresses the fundamental breaches of which we complain."

Reforming conscientious objection is problematic, she says. "That's going to be tough because it's hard for a government to force doctors to make referrals for abortion care."

Source

• newsroom.co.nz
• voxy.co.nzstories
• scoop.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• Image: tvnz.co.nz

The Pope is used as a symbol of "crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

On the other hand Powershop says it is an organisation that believes "If something's working for you and it's not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it."

The Power Utility also believes "it's the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world."

The billboards depict the Pope presiding over a marriage between two males.

The Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn has written to Powershop saying he is outraged the company has grouped the Pope with people described by Powershop as rotten demagogues.

He also takes issue with the depiction of the Pope marrying two men.

Dunn has asked Powershop to remove the billboards, which he says are outrageous and highly offensive.

Although the company has in the past responded to complaints by removing images, Powershop has declined the Bishop's request, saying they will remain on display until the end of the month.

Previously formal complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about bus shelter and website ads for Powershop, featuring pictures of Saddam Hussein, Richard Nixon, Che Guevara and Kim Jong-Il were partly settled, partly not upheld.

Powershop denies it has labeled the Pope as "rotten demagogue famous the world over for his abuse of power". The implication is merely that the Pope symbolises "crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

Powershop chief executive Ari Sargent says:

"Specifically, the Pope image has been chosen because the Marriage Equality debate/issue aligns well with values Powershop stands for - freedom of choice and equality."

Sargent says he is "a little" worried about backlash from Catholics, "but we are happy to stand up for our values."

The bilboards are the latest in a series based on the theme "Same Power, Different Attitude". Earlier ones have depicted dictators such as Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein.

Powershop then moved into fictional territory with ads featuring Jaws, Daleks, Darth Vader and Frankenstein. A cease and desist letter from LucasFilm moved the campaign back in the direction of well-known humans, such as Margaret Thatcher.

Previously in a blog on its website, Powershop said the "Same Power, Different Attitude" campaign took a "bunch of rotten demagogues, famous the world over for their abuse of power, and recasts them as people who do decent things in their community".

The most recent posting on its blog states:

"In the last few days we have launched the next chapter of our "Same Power, Different Attitude" campaign. We've embraced a current and relevant public debate to take the campaign in a completely different direction."

"Like previous editions, this latest version of Powershop's long-running campaign is intended to be both thought provoking and satirical. Kiwis have widely debated the issue of marriage equality over the last year, so we've used the issue to point out that large institutions can sometimes lose touch with their modern constituents. The power industry is dominated by crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

"We live in a world that has embraced freedom and equality. If something's working for you and it's not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it. We also believe it's the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world. And we know that applies to us as much as anyone."

"Some readers have raised concerns that we are describing the Pope as a "rotten demagogue" and that he has "violated human rights". This is incorrect. We are categorically not saying the Pope is a rotten demagogue or that he has violated human rights. These statements related to the characters featured in the first instalment of the Same Power, Different Attitude campaign (Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein). As stated at the start of this post, we are now taking the "Same power, different attitude" campaign in a different direction."

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• New Zealand Herald
• Stop Press
• GayNZ.com
• Blog.Powershop.co.nz
• Image: Blog.Powershop.co.nz

Therefore, Southlanders for Life are calling on the community to defend the value of all human life for one hour in a Silent Witness in front of Southland Hospital to encourage the Southern District Health Board to end its newly established abortion service. This will begin on Thursday morning, 6th December, 11am-12pm and will be a peaceful non-confrontational demonstration.

Further demonstrations will take place at the same time on Thursdays 13th & 20th December and will commence again in February 2013.

Southlanders for Life wish to reiterate that we are committed to respecting the life and human rights of all people born and unborn and advocates for this in ways that are peaceful and non-violent.

Southlanders for Life

Jackie Edmond from Family Planning says many New Zealanders still do not know that abortion is a criminal offence.

She says New Zealand women make thoughtful choices about abortion and decriminalisation will not trivialise the issue.

Abortion is a crime in New Zealand and is found in the Crimes Act 1961, in the section for crimes against the person, section 182, Killing Unborn child-. The section states that on conviction for killing an unborn child one may be imprisoned for a term not exceeding 14 years. The Crimes Act also provides for circumstances when an abortion may be permitted under section 187A.

An Otago University law dean, Mark Benaghan, says the unusual law is a way of compromising between supporters and opponents of abortion.

Source

• Voxy
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Prolife NZ

The article entitled After-birth abortion: why should the baby live? by Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva was electronically pre-published by the Journal of Medical Ethics

Catholic bioethicist John Kleinsman who is Director of The Nathaniel Centre, the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre, says the prospect of deliberately killing children after birth is appalling but he agrees that if society allows abortion, there is no rational basis for forbidding the killing fo the new born.

"While I'm appalled about infanticide, I think it actually highlights, really, the problems with abortion."

"If society allows abortions then there is no logical reason to say 'no' to infanticide," he says. "This way of thinking turns children into commodities to be disposed of at will."

The editor of the Journal of Medical Ethics has defended his actions. He said that the arguments presented were are largely not new and have been presented repeatedly in the academic literature and public fora by the most eminent philosophers and bioethicists in the world, including Peter Singer, Michael Tooley and John Harris.

"The novel contribution of this paper is not an argument in favour of infanticide - the paper repeats the arguments made famous by Tooley and Singer - but rather their application in consideration of maternal and family interests. The paper also draws attention to the fact that infanticide is practised in the Netherlands," he said

Read After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?

Source:

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
• Journal of Medical Ethics Blogs
• NZ City.com
• Image: The Blaze