NSW MPs: Vote to protect patients from harassment at abortion clinics
WIN! On the 8th of June 2018 the NSW Parliament voted to legislate safe access zones in NSW! Thank you to all the Fair Agenda members who signed the petition, emailed or called their MP, donated, or turned up to be part of the rallies in support of the laws. You helped make this possible.
Previously anti-choice protestors have been jostling, yelling at, and even filming patients as they enter the clinics. These protections will provide patients and staff with the privacy and dignity they deserve.
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Everyone should be able to access the healthcare they need free from harassment. But right now in NSW women are being jostled, filmed, or told they are going to hell, when they go to medical clinics to get an abortion.[1]
Patients urgently need protection from this abuse and harassment.
NSW Labor MP Penny Sharpe and Nationals MP Trevor Khan have just announced they will co-sponsor legislation to do just that -- creating a 150 metre "safe access zone" around abortion clinics in NSW.[2] It's a change that's desperately needed.
But right now it's not guaranteed to pass the Parliament. In fact, the vote is expected to come down to a few key MPs in both houses. To win this we're going to need to show huge public support for change. Can you help by signing and sharing this petition asking all NSW MPs to support creating “safe access zones” around abortion clinics?
More information
The new Bill will establish 150-metre “safe access zones” around abortion clinics, with penalties including potential jail time for people caught harassing women inside the zones. It will also make it an offence to record, or distribute a recording of a person inside the safe access zone without their consent.
Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have all passed legislation implementing safe access zones.
Labor has 12 members in the upper house, while the Nationals hold seven seats and the Liberals 13. With the support of five Greens MLCs, the bill will need a further five votes to hit the 21 votes needed for it to proceed to the lower house.
-References-
1. NSW abortion 'safe-zone' bill introduced, news.com.au, 30 March 2017.
2. Anti-abortion protestors face jail time under new 'safe access' bill, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 May 2018.