Australian Federal MP George Christensen has proposed a bill to ensure children born alive during a botched abortion will receive the same life-sustaining medical treatment that would be afforded to any other baby.
During a speech in Parliament on Thursday, Christensen noted that across the country, hundreds of babies are born alive and left to die as a result of abortions in hospitals and clinics, in violation of our humanity and our international obligations.
“I have recently watched the testimony of a midwife who was present at the birth of a baby after an abortion,” Christensen told Parliament. “She was told to take the photograph for hospital records and when the flash went off the child started breathing.”
Christensen said no medical intervention was provided and the baby was left to die.
“This happens in hospitals and abortion clinics across this country on more of a regular basis than we would like to think, and what the abortionists would like to admit,” he added.
Christensen had the Parliamentary Library undertake further research on this matter, and found:
- According to the publication Victoria’s Mothers, Babies and Children, there were a total of 1,626 late-term (20 weeks or later) abortions in Victoria, resulting in 198 live births, between 2012 and 2016 (approximately 12%).
- In Queensland, an ABC report stated there were 204 terminations with live birth outcomes between 2005 and 2015.
- In Western Australia, as of 19 May 2017, a total of 27 cases of abortion procedures resulting in a live birth have been reported between July 1999 and December 2016. Of these 21 were at 20 weeks gestation or later.
Christensen went on to say his statistics do not paint the full picture because the matter is under-reported. Tasmania, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, and the ACT do not publish abortion statistics.
“What is very clear is this is not rare, as abortionists have claimed, and we are in breach of some of our international obligations,” Christensen said, referring to The Convention on the Rights of The Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Article 6 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child states:
- States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.
- States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.
Article 6(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also says: “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”
Christensen’s bill, the Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2021, would require medical practitioners to offer these children the same care that would be afforded to any other baby.
The bill makes it an offence not to provide life-saving treatment, punishable with penalties of more than $400,000 for health practitioners and higher for corporations.
The bill can be found here, where people can also sign up to support the action.