Page 1118 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 23 June 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR DE DOMENICO: Thank you, Madam Speaker; I shall respect your ruling, as always. The ALP did not have a mandate from anybody to introduce this legislation. Let us make no bones about it. This is the first step to freeing up abortion in the ACT. There is no doubt about that. We have talked about all sorts of things tonight. A lot of people may think it is strange that we should talk about this issue in the way I am talking about it now. Let me quote just part of a letter I received:
Those who stand up for life against abortion and euthanasia are quickly branded as anti-choice, anti-women, single issue fanatics. The Church -
and Mr Moore will agree -
is told to keep out of politics -
Mr Moore always tells it to keep out of all sorts of things -
and to stop trying to impose a Catholic morality. The issues are far more fundamental than that and we should never allow such unpleasant reactions to close our eyes to the horrendous reality that abortion brings in the untimely death of unborn babies.
That is not some right-wing troglodyte; that is the Archbishop of Canberra, Francis Carroll.
Mr Lamont: A fine Australian.
MR DE DOMENICO: A fine Australian. Let the record show that Mr Lamont says, and I agree with him, "A very fine Australian". Madam Speaker, I will do one more thing while I am on my feet. I will plead, from the bottom of my heart - and here is where I get emotional - that all of you in this room face the facts. We are here tonight to make it easier for women in the ACT to obtain abortions.
Ms Follett: Hear, hear!
MR DE DOMENICO: Ms Follett says, "Hear, hear!". Let the record show that Ms Follett says, "Hear, hear!". We are here, and Ms Follett agrees, to debate whether it is going to be easier for women in the ACT to procure abortions. I have three beautiful kids. Could those of you that have children imagine what life would have been like without those children? Of course that is emotional; it is a very emotional issue. All the people, including Mr Berry, who is smiling and laughing under his breath across the table, would say that - - -
Mr Berry: You are a clown, Tony.
MR DE DOMENICO: He says that I am a clown. If being a clown is standing up for human life, a clown I shall be and a clown I shall continue to be. There is nothing you can do or say to stop me being that, Mr Berry, thank you very much. I say, Madam Speaker, God forgive the people that are going to support this Bill tonight.
Mrs Grassby: Come on, Tony!
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .