John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is a sensitive and delicate issue. It probably doesn't surprise you, Mr Acting Deputy President Ketter, that I do not support abortion. However, there are situations where I think abortion should be considered—as Senator Waters said: rape, incest or a situation where the lady's life is at threat. They would be considerations I could certainly accept. Senator Waters encourages everyone to think like her. That's pretty common here in this chamber by the Greens. We do have various opinions in this chamber, and my opinions are very much different Greens' on most respects. Yes, it is a woman's decision, but I'm alarmed to hear of the after effects when a woman does decide to have a termination of a pregnancy—the psychological effects on that lady. To many, there may not be any effects, and hopefully that's the case, but some go through emotional effects such as regret, depression and even anger and guilt.

This is my argument: whatever happens between a man and a woman, and if a pregnancy results, it is not the kid's fault. It is not the kid's fault; the kid had no say in it. So my attitude is: why kill the kid? They're pretty harsh words, I know, but the thing is: I've seen over my life so many people and so many couples who could not have children and would have loved to adopt children. Back in the sixties and seventies, if a young lady fell pregnant, of course they would not have an abortion. They made it secret, went off somewhere to another town, had the baby, put the baby up for adoption and returned back to their hometown to save themselves from shame and guilt. That's how society was in those days. Of course, in the seventies, when I was a young fellow, if a girl fell pregnant, you simply had to marry her. That was the situation. In the small country town of about 1,500 or 1,600 where I grew up—where everyone knew everyone—if a girl fell pregnant, she simply got married. The marriage didn't always last, of course. But my sympathy is with the unborn child. As I said, it is not the kid's fault.

I find it appalling that there are gender abortions. A couple living together, who may be married or may not be married, might have two daughters and would like a son. So the lady falls pregnant, they have the test and it's another girl. 'We don't want another girl,' is the discussion. So they terminate the pregnancy, because they want a boy. I think that is wrong. I think to take the unborn life of their little one because they are the wrong sex is simply wrong. I do not condone that one bit. It is a sensitive issue and there is a lot of debate about it. The states, of course, make these decisions. I think later on in the pregnancy, at 22, 24, 26 weeks—there is even talk now of full-term abortions—is cruel, and I think the little ones should be given a go. If the parents do not want the child or the woman is in a situation where she has fallen pregnant through—and the situation is obvious, of course—lack of knowledge and education on contraception or whatever, then let the child live. Put the child up for adoption, because that child more than likely will have a happy life. Especially being adopted by good people, good parents, they would go ahead in life to have a good education and probably end up being a good Australian—a very good Australian, with the right education, the right upbringing and the right parenting.

I cannot see how termination of pregnancies because they are the wrong gender is acceptable. As I said, it's not the kid's fault. Give the kid a go. The kid had no say in it. I've been through a lot of these experiences, talking to constituents who've have come to me with problems and so on. My final word to them is, 'It's your decision, but just remember: it's not the kid's fault. The kid had no say; don't blame them. Give them a chance in life.' I know it's a sensitive topic, and I do understand sympathy in situations like incest, rape or threat to a lady's life.