,
27 tweets,
11 min read
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Abortions are for "lifestyle reasons" (Loheni, National) - Any reason a pregnant person needs an abortion is an acceptable reason. #TrustUs to act like full moral adults & decide about our own bodies. #AbortionMythBusting
We shouldn't change abortion law, we should give more support to unmarried mothers (Brownlee, National) - We can (and should) do both. #AbortionMythBusting
Abortions traumatise women (Hayes, National) - Abortions have one of the lowest complication rates of any medical procedure w 99.3% having none in 2017. Research shows mental trauma is usually related to the stigma & judgement around abortion. #AbortionMythBusting
More on the abortions are for "lifestyle reasons" (Loheni, National) - these are the stats kept currently, on the grounds in the 1977 law. "Lifestyle" is not on there. #AbortionMythBusting 
Hundreds of thousands of NZers, faith communities, believe "point of humanness" is at conception (Young, National) - Those who believe that can simply not get an abortion, under both the new law and the old. #TrustUs to make that decision for ourselves. #AbortionMythBusting
More on faith communities all believing in "point of humanness" at conception (Young, National) - this is by no means universal amongst people with religious faith eg Catholics for Choice groups exist. #AbortionMythBusting
This is not the right to life debate on abortion, it's a debate on whether abortion should be criminal or not (Parker, Labour) - not a myth, a helpful point! Abortions will happen whether they are illegal, criminalised, or not, and they always have. #AbortionMythBusting
Current law already allows for all the reasons pro-choice people are telling him they think abortions should be allowed (Penk, National) - I repeated, these are the current reasons. #AbortionMythBusting
The new law doesn't outline methods of abortion, eg that the practitioner needs to be a medical doctor (Penk, National) - That would be because while medical procedures are highly regulated those regulations aren't laid out in law, but in other mechanisms... #AbortionMythBusting
... you will not see any law that mentions the operational detail of medical procedures like vasectomies, root canals, cancer biopsies. Law is for governance not operational detail, you'd hope an MP would know that. #AbortionMythBusting
Opposing abortion is advocating for children (Hipango, National) - 58% of those who sought abortions in NZ in 2017 already had children. #TrustUs to know whether or not we can support a(nother) child. #AbortionMythBusting
1977 Act was passed to protect women (Hipango, National) - only 4 women were MPs in 1977, none of them voted for the legislation. 319k NZers signed petition to REPEAL the law in 3 months after it passed because too restrictive. #AbortionMythBusting
More on 1977 Act protecting women (Hipango, National) - Insisting pg people need permission of 2 other people is not "protecting" them, it is patronising them. It restricts and delays access, which does not protect women. #AbortionMythBusting
Opposing abortion is pro-human rights (O'Connor, National) - Amnesty Interntnl supports abortion rts amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/… "Forcing someone to carry on an unwanted pregnancy, or forcing them to seek out an unsafe abortion, is a violation of their human rts" #AbortionMythBusting
More on opposing abortion being pro-human rights (O'Connor, National) - the UN's CEDAW convention (aka Treaty on the Rights of Women) has consistently stated that restrictive abortion laws constitute discrimination against women. #AbortionMythBusting
Those who oppose abortion on the basis of human-rights (O'Connor, National) might also want to check their voting record on other matters of human rights like marriage equality
The new law would not have any tests until 20 weeks gestation (Upston, National) - There is a test, the decision of the pregnant person. It's a real thing. #AbortionMythBusting
People will terminate when they don't need to (Upston, National) - We are talking about the pregnant person deciding if it is needed. #AbortionMythBusting
Only a small number of NZers support late term abortions (Brown, National) - From Jun 2019 stuff.co.nz/national/healt… "Sixty-five per cent surveyed said they agreed or strongly agreed with a woman's right to choose, under any circumstance."
Opposing abortion is caring for both the mother and the child (Brown, National) - Forcing someone to continue with a pregnancy they do not want to continue with is NOT caring for them. #AbortionMythBusting
More on people aborting when they don't need to (Upston, National) - the problem here is pressure from doctors based on the inexact science of fetal diagnosis, not abortions. Again the answer is #TrustUs to decide for ourselves #AbortionMythBusting
There is no difference btwn born or unborn from the point of view of being alive, having right to life (Brown, National) - This is not a universal belief. If you hold that belief don't have an abortion. You don't get to impose that belief on everyone else. #AbortionMythBusting
An "unwanted pregnancy" is an absence of love from a mother to her child, in her circumstances (Garcia, National) - It can be love to her existing children, 58% of those seeking abortion in 2017 were already a parent. #AbortionMythBusting
Opposing abortion cares for both (again) (Garcia, National) - Forcing someone to continue to be pregnant against their will is not caring for them. (Again) #AbortionMythBusting
Protesting outside abortion clinics is showing love (Garcia, National) - It is much more like harassment, trying to make people feel guilty for exercising bodily autonomy, trying to change their minds. #AbortionMythBusting
More on protesters showing love (Garcia, National) - I once read an account (now deleted) from an anti group who supported a man who didn't want his partner to get an abortion to go into the clinic and claim his rights... #AbortionMythBusing
... which he then did and the police had to be called. This was on Dominion Rd in Auckland, where the protesters have to stay on the other side of the road from the (private) clinic. That was not love. #AbortionMythBusting
