So having been told quite a bit recently that no one really cares about abortion as an issue in NZ and why don’t we prochoice women just shut up and get to the back of the manifesto where we belong, wouldn’t you know it but a bunch of awesome Kiwi bloggers managed to put together one hell of a blogswarm for World Health Day, hosted at The Hand Mirror.
My three faves are from Octavia, La Ranita and Deborah but there’s pa-lenty of other awesome reading.
And then, would you believe, there was actually an abortion-related vote in Parliament, regarding the Abortion Supervisory Committee, which even got honest-to-goodness mainstream media coverage thanks to Tariana Turia being an antichoice douchewad. Hat tip to Morgan at Maui Street.
No Right Turn does his usual stellar work with the facts and figures on the vote, which split somewhat fascinatingly along almost-clear party lines, with National being the only divided party.
The basic take-home is that 70 MPs are sufficiently pro-choice that they won’t support appointing an avowed antichoicer to the Abortion Supervisory Committee. It’s hardly an overwhelming statement of support of women’s right to make their own health decisions, but it’s also a pretty obvious sign that the majority of MPs, whether for personal or political-sensitivity reasons, will not erode the status quo.
It’s a fucking start.
Every social justice-oriented change in society has to start somewhere, and people sure as shit didn’t get far throughout history saying “Eh, this seems too hard and maybe people won’t care. Better give it up. Focus on something more relevant to the dominant power group. BRILLIANT IDEA YES.”
Gotta say, I was pretty pleased by that vote. Better than I expected (also provides a handy Who Not to Vote For list /snark).
Top of list: Tariana Fucking Making-More-Maori-Babies-Trumps-That-Whole-Fucking-Poverty-Thing Turia.
Could be time to introduce the National party to the thin end of wedge politics.
Thank you, QoT.
And thank you also for this:
I hadn’t thought of it that way. It is, as you say, encouraging.
It’s a Friday and I’m full of cider, positive messages are what I do.
QoT is actually filled with kittens and rainbows and the simple joy of a sun-kissed smiling child, she’s just misunderstood.
You shut your sarcastic mouth, woman-face.
@QoT
The above bitterness is just the sun beams trying to get out. Established medical fact.
They curdle if you suppress them.
Lumpy sunbeams
Maybe useful for cheesecake.
Wow thanks, I’m blushing! I couldn’t for the life of me think what to write and then I started noting down some ideas and a blog post spewed out (my first ever). I am very heartened by the blogswarm and by what happened in Parliament (except boo hiss Tariana and her supporters). Yay Charles Chauvel too. You are right, it’s a fucking start.
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