It's been a while since the last abortion forum at Vic., and last Thursday's affair showed that the interest in the subject is growing greatly with the so-called pro life groups going on the defensive now that SPUC has the legislation it wants on the books.

The four speakers represented both sides of the argument with Christine Gillespie (Abortion Rights Committee), Gillian Denford (WONAAC), Lorraine Pye (VUWSA Pro-life Club) and Pat Byrn (SPUC). A crowd of 200 gathered to hear the proceedings.

First to speak was the SPUC representative who was given a warm hand by the large "pro-life" contingent. She started out by stating that she had never had a university education and requested that the audience "give her a chance". Her speech closely followed official SPUC policy and she had very little new to say.

At one stage she suggested that the granting of abortion rights to women would lead to the abandoning of old people because there will be noone to care for them if we "kill off a whole generation". She cast as-persions on the medical profession by saying that if they were all "trustworthy", there would be no need for the panel system.

NZ at the Crossroads

Finishing on a sabre rattling note she exclaimed. "New Zealand is at the crossroads.... either we choose a total disrespect for human life or we build a decent society for ourselves and those who follow".

Gillian Den ford spoke next pointing out that the state had no right to interfere in the decision of a woman whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. This meant putting faith in the women of New Zealand, something SPUC seems loath to do. Not only should free, safe legal abortion be available in every Public Hospital in New Zealand, but adoption and Domestic Purposes Benefit facilities should also be provided because of the special conditions of women as a disadvantaged group in society.

Throughout her speech, Denford came on the receiving end of a fair amount of abuse. The debate started to liven up. Only the usual dart throwing brigade in the balcony seemed bored. Both sides lined up their questions in readiness.

After a less orchestrated round of applause for the WONAAC speaker, Lorraine Pye spoke outlining the unhygenic conditions of the Sydney abortion clinics and the amount of money it makes each year ($2M according to her figures).

Hospital Atrocities?

Then her argument strayed into the absurd; doctors were whipping live children out of their mother's uteruses and leaving them crying in plastic bags at the bottom of hospital rubbish bins. She went on to claim that it had been known for doctors to use the foetuses for dissection purposes in brain experiments.

"Women must fight for their rights. We are not sex machines!", Pye emphasised. "We don't want to be hopping into bed 5 times a week". She stopped speaking at this stage and when the laughter had died down Christine Gillespie of the newly formed Abortion Rights Committee (ARC) spoke.

Gillespie's speech dealt with the more general social conditions which cause women to want pregnancy terminations, and the government to deprive them of his right.

When things get tough in society, with the economic crisis and the consequent attacks on civil liberties, certain sections of society want to turn back the wheel of time to the 'sanctity' of the family. She reminded the audience that we do not live in an ideal state and that to consider the abortion question you have to look at the realities of society. "Women have always needed, sought and obtained abortions. Laws may make it difficult for women to get abortions but it will not stop them. Nor will the laws succeed in turning time back to the 'good' years".

Abortion and Democracy

The essence of democracy, she said, was true equality and participation. In the case of women this meant the right to work, to abortion, to child care, to equal pay.

The CS &A Act was an affront to women and men and it, along with other pieces of anti-women legislation, would be overthrown, she concluded.

By this stage the audience had well and truly warmed up and the next hour saw a hotly contested and bitter debate.

Most questions centred around the status of the foetus. While the anti-abortion lobby claimed that the unborn had supreme rights regardless of the social circumstances of the mother, speakers pressing for change in the laws felt that although they acknowledged that a foetus represented life in the abstract, they urged people to weigh the social consequences of unwanted pregnancies, especially in times of extreme economic pressure on the family.

Priceless quotes of the meeting...

Byrn — "there is no medical reason for abortion - it's simply a matter for convenience".

(Answering a male questioner who suggested that it should be the woman's choice) ... "What a gutless individual".

"I'm personally against IUD's".

Another questioner - "Seeing SPUC considers that life starts from conception, why don't they campaign to get foetuses the family benefit?"

Another questioner - "I'd rather be unstable than dead".

Few people left the forum until the end - a marked contrast to most student gatherings these days. The occasion was organised by the VUWSA Abortion Rights Committee as a build up for the mobilisation on July 14. With the interest generated at the forum and the present dithering by the government, it could be a very big event.

David Murray