courage and cowardice
Update 20 August 2008: now that abortion decriminalisation seems a certainty in Victoria, Baillieu is reportedly supporting the legislation. He’s a policy vacuum searching for a reason for his own existence.
Last year I wrote about the state election and the abortion policies of the then premier Steve Bracks and the opposition Liberal leader Ted Baillieu. I think both men have been cowards in relation to the issue of decriminilising abortion in Victoria. Good riddance to Bracks. Unfortunately we still have to see Baillieu whining on the television news.
To summarise what I wrote last year, Baillieu is on the record as claiming in May 2006 that he was in favour of decriminalising abortion, and he criticised Bracks for not doing so. By August 2006, as the election grew closer, his abortion policy became more conservative. Eventually, Baillieu revoked his previous support for decriminalising abortion in order to appease some Christian morons.
Now, in August 2007, Baillieu is again calling for abortion to be decriminalised. He is quoted as saying that:
What a two faced hypocrite and spineless loser in search of a purpose. I’d like to see him denied medical aid he really needs. Perhaps that would make him reflect on the suffering of women who have been denied access to safe legal abortions. He doesn’t believe anything. He has no policy – he simply seeks to say whatever he thinks the electorate wants to hear. Wrong. We want truth and conviction, not facile rhetoric.
In contrast, Labor MLC Candy Broad and new premier John Brumby are politicians of conviction and courage in their stated goal of decriminalising abortion. Ms Broad was to introduce a private member’s bill into the Victorian parliament today aiming to decriminalise abortion, but will withdraw this to allow for the strategy outlined by Mr Brumby, which is to seek guidance from the Victorian Law Reform Commission.
I think this is overly cautious and delays the excellent work Candy Broad instigated, but it is still a significant improvement on the vacuous idiocy of Bracks. Mr Nice was Mr Useless. I will be following this story with interest. Stay tuned to hear Baillieu contradict himself again any minute now…
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