Australia Pro-Abortion Lawmakers’ Bill Targets Pregnancy Centers 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 6, 2006
Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com) — A group of pro-abortion lawmakers in Australia has filed legislation to target pregnancy canters that provide women with practical pregnancy help and alternatives to abortion. They want to force the centers to include information in their advertising saying they don’t refer women to abortion businesses.
The bill would not require abortion facilities to include a statement in their ads saying they don’t typically refer women to pregnancy centers for abortion options.
The senators from the Liberal, Labor, Greens and Democrats parties have drafted legislation that would make it illegal for pregnancy centers to make it appear they offer women the potential of getting an abortion at their facility.
Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, a leading pro-abortion lawmaker who was behind the effort to promote the dangerous abortion drug RU 486, claims some pregnancy centers are misleading women.
Despoja had introduced her own private members bill but decided to put forward a second version along with Liberal Senator Judith Troeth, Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and Labor’s Carol Brown in order to increase its chances of passing.
The bill would need to get the support of the ruling government of Prime Minister John Howard in order to have any chance of moving forward. The Age newspaper reports Howard may allow a conscience vote on the bill since many pro-life lawmakers strongly oppose it.
Pregnancy centers in the United States have come under attack as well from groups like Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, which is concerned about losing money from fewer abortions as women seek alternatives.
Kurt Entsminger, the president of Care Net, previously told LifeNews.com that he expects a Congress under the control of abortion advocates to "continue to attempt to malign our work."
"Abortion advocates are emboldened by the election results and alarmed by the growing effectiveness of pregnancy centers," he told LifeNews.com.
"We are committed to sustaining our critical efforts and keeping our hand to the plow – empowering women and men facing crisis pregnancies with love, support, and help finding abortion alternatives," he said.
Entsminger previously told LifeNews.com that "pregnancy centers remain the best and last hope for reducing abortion in America," especially given the current political climate in Congress where pro-life legislation will have little chance of passing.
Thousands of pregnancy centers across the nation provide women with pregnancy help and abortion alternatives, medical assistence and referrals, baby needs, assistance with education or career goals, or giving a pregnant woman a place to live.
Related web sites:
Care Net – https://www.care-net.org
