opinion

Abortion clinic buffer zone bill to protect women from abuse, Sex Party MP Fiona Patten says.

By Alison Savage.

A bill enforcing a buffer zone around abortion clinics has been introduced to the Victorian Parliament by Sex Party MP Fiona Patten, who says women are being harassed and abused by anti-abortion protesters.

The bill, amending the Health and Wellbeing Act, would make it illegal for protesters to be within 150 metres of fertility and reproductive health clinics, with penalties including fines or imprisonment for repeat offenders.

It is the first private member’s bill to be introduced by the new cross-benchers in Victoria’s Upper House, who share the balance of power with the Greens.

Related: “Why I talk about my abortion.”

Ms Patten said women had experienced disgraceful treatment at the hands of anti-abortion “vigilantes”.

“This weekend they were yelling to people attending a clinic, ‘you are going into a slaughterhouse’,” she said.

“They film and photograph people to try and intimidate them, to try and intrude on their privacy.”

Related: The 9 things gynaecologists really wish their patients wouldn’t do during an appointment.

Anti-abortion groups say any attempt to establish a “buffer zone” around abortion clinics would impede their freedom of speech and freedom to protest.

Ms Patten said she supported their right to protest, but not to harass and intimidate.

“We need to provide some privacy and some safety for people making quite often a very difficult decision,” she said.

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Related: 4 ways women can fall pregnant while using the Pill — and how to reduce the risk.

Pregnant women not seeking abortions targeted by protesters

She said some women who were the target of protesters were not seeking a pregnancy termination, but were using the clinics for pregnancy-related services.

“These clinics provide a vast array of services so many times people are going there for IVF or pregnancy tests, for a whole range of services other than just pregnancy terminations,” she said.

Ms Patten said she had not yet had a clear indication from the Labor Party or the Coalition about whether they would support the bill.

Related: 9 things every woman needs to know about the ‘morning after pill’.

But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the Liberal Party would consider whether to allow its MPs to have a conscience vote on the issue.

“We’ll have a better look at the bill in shadow cabinet on Monday and in the party room the week after,” he said.

“My personal view is that people shouldn’t be heckled or hindered in any approach to those clinics, I think that’s pretty reasonable and if it needs an exclusion zone to do that, shadow cabinet will have a debate about whether we would support that.”

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has previously spoken out in favour of buffer zones around abortion clinics.

This article was originally published on ABC and was republished here with full permission. Read the original article here.