A few weeks ago, a NSW doctor was charged with manslaughter after procuring an unlawful abortion, having terminated a pregnancy after 21 weeks.

Australian Medical Association president, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, comments that this prosecution has “huge repercussions” for Australian women and for doctors and the broader community.

“This case creates great uncertainty and confusion — and fear,” he is quoted as saying.

“All the State and Territory Governments must clarify their laws on abortion in consultation the AMA, the whole medical profession and the public. There is a leadership role for the Federal Government, too, given its recent efforts in stirring up the abortion debate.

“The AMA is concerned that a situation could arise where doctors could be compromising patient care for fear of legal repercussions.

“Any decision on abortion is between the doctor and patient. There is no place for third parties — governments, over-zealous politicians and lawyers, hospital committees, or even the spectre of legal action.”

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So there you have it. Australia’s medical profession wants abortion treated like any other operation. The doctor recommends it, the mum agrees to it. The baby is exterminated. The law has nothing to say.

That’s the bright, golden future for which Australia’s doctors seem to hope.

Doctor Haikerwal is right, of course, that the laws about abortion should be uniform throughout Australia.

The question is what those laws should be.

Dr Haikerwal wants the laws to be uniform — so uniform, in fact, that the laws governing abortion of human babies will be uniform with the laws governing vets deciding to put down an animal.

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Sorry, I cannot quote you anything that Blessed Mary MacKillop had to say about abortion.

As far as I know she never spoke about the subject.

Mary MacKillop lived in an era when, not only the Catholic Church, but all people of goodwill, were committed to the sanctity of human life, born or unborn.

The idea of abortion being OK so long as the doctor and the mother think it’s OK – such a mentality was something she never encountered.

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