The Gutwein Government’s dangerous ideology on
reproductive health has seen access to safe terminations continue to be denied
to Tasmanian women.
Shadow Health Minister Dr Bastian Seidel said
the Liberals had promised to deliver access to terminations three years ago but
had utterly failed and continued to release only confusing information for
Tasmanian women.
“Two Health Ministers and three years ago, the
Liberals promised to deliver and they simply have not,” Dr Seidel said.
“With Michael Ferguson as Health Minister the
promise was broken. His successor Sarah Courtney followed suit.
“The only way to access a safe, low cost
termination in Tasmania is because we are fortunate to have some private
obstetricians who work with organisations like Women’s Health Tasmania and
Family Planning Tasmania.
“These organisations go above and beyond to
ensure people have the transport, the funding and access to legal health
procedures.
“But the government continues to utterly fail.
“It’s now been more than three years since
Tasmania’s only dedicated termination clinic in Hobart closed and this
government doesn’t care about safe reproductive health, it never has.
“The fact is Tasmania has some of the best rights
to terminations, but still some of the worst access, because the Liberal
Government has made it wilfully, unnecessarily difficult to gain that access.
“That’s
solely and largely because of the personal
beliefs of key members of the Gutwein Cabinet.
“It’s
now up to new Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff.
“Will he deliver or will he follow in the shameful footsteps of failed Health Ministers Ferguson and Courtney?”
Dr Bastian Seidel MLC
Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing
