Defend Human Life! has identified seven priorities for the work of defending human life in Australia and beyond in 2016.
1. Defund International Planned Parenthood Federation
Our prolife colleagues in the United States are doing a fantastic job exposing the evil nature of Planned Parenthood, which in the United States has not only been the major abortion provider but has been illegally profiting from the harvesting and sale of the body parts of aborted children.
This short video clip highlights some of the callous comments captured by the Center for Medical Progress's investigative journalists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The US House of Representatives voted 240-181 to defund Planned Parenthood and redirect funding to genuine providers of women's health services. While this Bill was vetoed by President Obama it shows what could be possible if a prolife President can once again be elected in the United States.
Meanwhile, Senator Joe Bullock has exposed through persistent questioning the full extent of Australia's misuse of overseas aid funds to pay for abortions of Asian and Pacific Island children. Your tax dollars have helped the International Planned Parenthood Federation get close to killing 1 million babies each year.
In 2016 Defend Human Life! will continue to work with Senator Bullock, and with prolife MPs and Senators from all parties, to work for the complete defunding of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and other abortion providing agencies, with overseas aid funds to be redirected to provide genuine help rather than the ruthless killing of unborn children.
2. Stop late abortions for disability in Western Australia
In 2016 Defend Human Life! will continue to work with prolife MPs such as the Hon Nick Goiran MLC, to call for an end to abortions at 20 weeks or later of unborn children simply on the grounds of disability. The focus on this aspect of WA's abortion law is a step towards restoring legal protection to all unborn children.
3. Defending free speech in favour of life
The recent Federal Court decision in Gaynor v Chief of the Defence Force (No 3) [2015] FCA 1370 (4 December 2015) points the way to possible constitutional challenges to the gag laws which prevent prolifers praying, offering life affirming help to women or speaking in favour of the right to life in the vicinity of an abortion clinic in the ACT, Victoria or Tasmania.
Defend Human Life! will work with prolife colleagues around Australia to pursue effective actions to restore legal protection for free speech in favour of life.
4. Defeating proposals for legalised euthanasia
Senator David Leyonhjelm introduced the Restoring Territory Rights (Assisted Suicide Legislation) Bill 2015 into the Senate on 2 December 2015. This bill would amend the self-government acts of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory to remove the provisions which currently prevent these territories from passing laws to permit "the form of intentional killing of another called euthanasia (which includes mercy killing) or the assisting of a person to terminate his or her life".
The Commonwealth Parliament was right in 1997 to pass the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 which overturned the law permitting euthanasia in the Northern Territory. It should reject this attempt by Senator Leyonhjelm to bestow a power to make laws permitting killing on the territory assemblies.
Defend Human Life! closely follows developments in those countries and US states which have legalised euthanasia or assisted suicide and provides up to date research to MPs to enable them to see the dangers in any law permitting euthanasia or assisted suicide.
5. Stopping Nitschke's suicide cult
Philip Nitschke has handed in his registration as a medical practitioner and is no longer registered to practice as a doctor anywhere in Australia.
However, he is plowing ahead with running his international suicide cult - promoting the idea that suicide is a rational choice and that any person has the right to obtain assistance and detailed instruction in the methods of suicide. Nitschke's death cult coaches suicidally inclined people - including young people - on how to kill themselves. He needs to be stopped. Defend Human Life! works closely with prolife MPs around the nation and other anti-suicide promotion activists to shut down this deadly cult.
6. Reproductive technology and the destruction of human embryos
Defend Human Life! monitors developments in reproductive technology, cloning and embryo research internationally and seeks to oppose all forms of reproductive technology or clinical research that involve the destruction of human life in the embryonic stage.
7. Responding promptly to new threats to human life
The ever restless proponents of the culture of death will no doubt come up with new assaults on the life of vulnerable human beings in 2016. Defend Human Life! will stand ready to collaborate with other defenders of human life around Australia and internationally to meet these assaults as they arise.
Your help and support is greatly valued. The cause of defending human life requires focus, passion and perseverance. Through Defend Human Life! I will do my best to pursue this goal.
Yours in the service of life
Richard Egan
Defend Human Life!
33 Drynan St
Bayswater WA 6053
Mob 0416 148 008
