Pro-life groups given pregnancy counselling funds

Pro-life groups given pregnancy counselling funds

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has announced $300,000 worth of funding for three organisations providing counselling services for women with unintended pregnancies.

Mr Abbott says the money is to provide practical support for women who find themselves in the situation of being pregnant unexpectedly.

The Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Services, The Caroline Chisolm Society and the Foundation for Human Development will receive $100,000 each.

All three organisations are pro-life and have confirmed that they do not refer women for terminations.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says the groups are biased, religious organisations and will not refer a woman for an abortion, even if that is what she has asked for.

Senator Nettle says in the past few weeks, one of the organisations told a mother of a 13-year-old seeking advice on abortion that a termination is killing the baby.

"I think as Health Minister should be ashamed to be giving any money to organisations that don't provide genuine counselling and don't support women when they're making a difficult decision," Senator Nettle said.

"The Federal Government should not be funding any organisations that provide religious and biased persuasion under the guise of supporting women and providing pregnancy counselling."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1498231.htm