Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462138
11 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 MARCH 2022 Doctors for Choice slam 'stigmatising language' on abortion Reacting to PN leader Bernard Grech's interview with MaltaToday, Doctors for Choice say PN leader has 'no idea what abortion actually is' K ARL AZZOPARDI DOCTORS for Choice have slammed Opposition leader Bernard Grech for his "stigma- tising language" when speaking on abortion. "It is sad to read how Ber- nard Grech, who aspires to be the next Prime Minister, can get it so wrong on the subject of abortion - a procedure that each year hundreds of Maltese people go through," the pro- choice lobby said. Doctors for Choice were re- ferring to comments made by Grech in an interview on Malt- aToday's Sunday print edition. The Nationalist leader was asked whether the PN's future lies in becoming "a true Eu- ropeanist centre, centre-right party" given European Parlia- ment President Roberta Met- sola's recent comments that she will represent the 'majority voice' on abortion. Grech said he will allow a wider discussion on abortion, but the PN will not campaign for its legalisation. "Being against abortion does not mean one is not 'modern'. Look, we started talking about hunting... if you shoot a bird, then you are against the envi- ronment; and if you kill a ba- by, you are antiquated," Grech said. "To me it's the baby's life that is privileged. It is a de- fenceless person. As a human being, I have the obligation to defend that life." Doctors for Choice said the PN leader "has no idea what abortion actually is." "Abortion does not 'kill a ba- by' but it ends a pregnancy be- fore a baby develops. Ask any of the hundreds of women who use abortion pills at home in early pregnancy and none will tell you they saw a baby come out," it said. They also found issue with Grech comparing abortion to hunting. "The comparison of abortion to hunting is simply stupid. Certain species are protected because they are endangered due to declining numbers. The human race is not endangered in this way. Also, abortion is not done needlessly - there is always a reason why a person who is pregnant decides to ter- minate a pregnancy." The Nationalist leader was asked whether the PN's future lies in becoming "a true Europeanist centre, centre-right party" given European Parliament President Roberta Metsola's recent comments that she will represent the 'majority voice' on abortion MATTHEW VELLA THE pro-life organisation Doc- tors for Life has raised concerns that Labour's electoral manifes- to includes a reference to abor- tion rights. DfL said Labour's proposal 506 pledges an updated sexual health policy that "reflects to- day's realities on sexual health and reproductive rights, in all its diversity; with an action plan for aims, measures and clear deadlines." A DfL spokesperson said the group's concerns on the ter- minology used in the proposal, specifically "sexual health and reproductive rights", was widely understood to include abortion. "Doctors for Life strongly af- firms that the killing of early human life is unethical and that the right to life should always be safeguarded. "To this end, Doctors for Life is appealing to the Prime Min- ister who has on numerous oc- casions clearly stated his stand against abortion, to urge the Partit Laburista to issue a state- ment clarifying what is being defined by 'drittijiet sesswali u riproduttivi', and to categor- ically exclude abortion from this definition, thus amending proposal 506 in order to reflect this," the group said. "In the absence of the above, DfL will have to assume that proposal 506 does in fact in- clude the provision of abortion. Whilst remaining politically neutral and not advocating sup- port for any particular political party, DfL will be advising the electorate that supporting pro- posal 506 of the PL manifesto, as it stands today, may be en- dorsing the future legalisation of abortion." Prime Minister Robert Abela had declared during a debate between leaders at the Univer- sity of Malta that while abortion was not in the party's manifesto, it was an ongoing debate which should not be shut down, and said there was more to do on sexual health and civil liberties in Malta. Abela said sexual health in ed- ucation should reflect today's realities. "We will give out the contraceptive pill and the morn- ing-after pill for free. The IUD will be offered as part of the na- tional health service. Menstrual products will be provided for free in schools," he said. Pro-life doctors raise alarm over Labour pledge for reproductive rights