The politics of abortion

It's a stone cold fact encased inside the hardest possible reinforced concrete. There is absolutely no getting around it.

So it's time to stop thinking that the Liberals are more pro-life than Labor. They aren't.

With all this in mind, let's examine the honesty of the Liberal Party.

And when it comes to honesty it does matter what the Liberal Party said in opposition because we all know that oppositions will say anything to gain power. The only way of knowing if the words of a party in opposition are honest is to see if they mean them while in government.

Liberal MPs mostly voted against the abortion laws while in opposition. And they have mostly said nothing at all about abortion since gaining government. Even after Geoff Shaw announced that he would bring forward a bill to outlaw such things as partial-birth and sex-selection abortion there has been nothing but a stony silence.

That's dishonest.

During the 2010 election campaign the Liberal Party was most welcoming of support from pro-life groups and was happy to receive preferences from minor parties with pro-life policies. In fact, given the slim victory margin obtained by the Liberal Party, it is likely this support was crucial in helping it gain power. Yet this support has not been treated with the good faith it deserved.

That's dishonest.

In fact, after the election the Liberal Party's opposition evaporated in the wind and it just efficiently assumed control of Labor's abortion laws and kept the killing humming along nicely. Premier Napthine has even gone so far as to say the he has no intention whatsoever of changing these laws.

That's dishonest.

In effect, the Liberal Party has changed its position in order to curry favour with both sides of this argument.

That's very dishonest.