Right to Life Australia

Right to Life Australia (The Right to Life Australia Inc.) is an organization that lobbies for consistent life ethic policies, defending the right to life of the unborn, the elderly, and the terminally ill. The group campaigns against abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. Margaret Tighe served as President[1] until her retirement in 2010,[2] with Toni Turnbull of South Australia serving as Vice President. Although the organization is officially non-denominational, many of its participants identify as Roman Catholic.

Right to Life Australia was established following strategic differences between the National Right to Life Association and its Victoria-based branch. According to some accounts, the division arose over campaigning tactics.[3] By 1980, the newly formed Right to Life Australia began fundraising campaigns, despite internal objections within the broader movement regarding the establishment of a separate organization.[4]

Under Margaret Tighe's leadership, the group sought to establish itself as a unified national body. However, existing state-based entities, such as Right to Life Western Australia, chose to remain independent.[5] Right to Life WA declined to join the national coalition advocating against abortion and voluntary assisted dying, citing concerns over the "proliferation of pro-life groups and associations."

History

Right to Life Australia was registered as an association in Brunswick, Victoria, in 2000.[6] It operated under the registered business name Right to Life Australia.[7]

The organization has conducted public campaigns and demonstrations, particularly targeting political candidates affiliated with EMILY's List, a network that supports pro-choice politicians.[8] Members have also engaged in political lobbying and educational outreach within community groups.

In addition to hosting an annual conference and publishing a newsletter, the group funded Pregnancy Counseling Australia, a service offering support, guidance, and resources to help women choose life-affirming alternatives to abortion.

Right to Life Australia Inc was involved in the passing of the 1996 Euthanasia Bill and the Research Involving Human Embryos Bill 2002. In 2005, the organisation protested outside Alfred Hospital on the Maria Korp case when Victoria's Public Advocate announced that Maria would begin palliative care after 163 days of being in a persistent vegetative state.[9] Despite protest from Right to Life Australia Inc, ABC radio reported that extensive consultation with close friends, family and Maria's priest as well as all medical advice concluded that palliative care was in Maria's best interest.[10]

Campaigns and actions

The Fertility Control Clinic, established in East Melbourne in 1972, became a primary focus for Right to Life's peaceful demonstrations advocating for the unborn.

In 1978, ten members of the organization, including then-President Margaret Tighe, were arrested during a peaceful sit-in protest in the clinic's hallway, aimed at drawing attention to abortion procedures.[11]

In 1986, Michael Maher, the federal member for Lowe, addressed the House of Representatives regarding what he characterized as a misrepresentation of his views in literature distributed by the Victorian Right to Life organization under Tighe's authorization. Maher placed his corrected position on the record, arguing that the mischaracterization of his stance did not benefit the organization's cause.[12]

In 1996, during debates on voluntary euthanasia in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, independent MLA Michael Moore criticized Tighe's public comments. Moore argued that opponents of euthanasia, such as Tighe, bore responsibility for prolonging the suffering of terminally ill patients.[13]

In 1998, Margaret Tighe and Meredith Gawler (former President of the University of Melbourne's Right to Life Club) participated in a public debate hosted by the Melbourne University Debating Society regarding abortion law reform. The debate concluded with a majority vote in favor of the reform platform.[14]


In 2001, Peter Knight walked into the privately run East Melbourne abortion provider carrying a rifle and other weapons, as well as 16 litres of kerosene. Knight fatally shot a security guard before clinic staff and patients overpowered him.[15] Knight later stated he planned to use homemade gags and door jambs to restrain the patients and staff inside the clinic before dousing them with kerosene. There were 15 staff members and 26 patients present that day. He then planned to move on to target another Melbourne abortion provider.[16] In a radio interview on the day of the fatal shooting, the Right to Life Australia Inc President expressed sympathy with Knight, saying violence was to be expected "because people get angry at what goes on in such places".[17] That sparked outrage and led to the popularization of the pro-choice chant "Right to Life, your name's a lie, you don't care if women die!".[18]

In 2007, Right to Life successfully petitioned for the restriction of The Peaceful Pill Handbook by euthanasia promoter Phillip Nitschke. The Classification Review Board subsequently refused classification for the book on the grounds that it promoted and provided instructions for illegal acts.[19]

The group actively campaigned against the 2008 Abortion Law Reform Bill introduced in Victoria by MLC Candy Broad, which sought to remove legal protections for unborn children. Despite their efforts, the legislation passed, codifying the 1969 Menhennit ruling and allowing late-term abortions up to and beyond 23 weeks.[20]

In 2013, Right to Life Australia was questioned about anti-abortion flyers distributed in Albury. The flyers were printed on the back of letters containing personal information and may have breached privacy laws. Included in the material was a 1988 letter from Corporate Affairs Victoria detailing outstanding lodging fees and threatened to de-register the company. While then-President, Margaret Tighe, claimed the flyers were unrelated to Right to Life Australia, they also featured her signature.[21]

In 2017, the organization campaigned against Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, warning of the potential dangers to vulnerable, elderly, and disabled patients.[22] Following the passage of the legislation, voluntary assisted dying became legally accessible in Victoria in mid-2019.[23]

Following the decriminalization of abortion across Australian jurisdictions, Right to Life Australia has continued to advocate for the legal rights of unborn children. In 2023, the organization's leadership reaffirmed the need for legal frameworks that recognize the value of unborn life, suggesting that regulations should include balanced penalties for unlawful procedures while maintaining a compassionate approach to individuals.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Trove". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Allan, L (29 November 2010). "Margaret Tighe. The Most Powerful Woman in Victoria". Tasmanian Times. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. ↑ McVey, Judy (1983). "The Right to Life Offensive since 1969". Hecate. 9 (2): 35–43.
  4. ↑ Hedley, J (2017). ""On the Side of the Saints": A History of the Sydney Catholic Pro-Life Organisation Family Life International". (Thesis - University of Notre Dame Australia).
  5. ↑ "Divided we fail? The fracturous state of the pro-life movement". The Record. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "ABN 12 774 010 375". Australian Business Register. Australian Government. November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "ABN Lookup". abr.business.gov.au. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Lyle Allan (2010). The Right to Life campaigned in Victoria in the 2010 election in nine seats, with seven pro-choice politicians replaced with pro-life politicians. "Margaret Tighe. The most powerful woman in Victoria," in Tasmanian Times, 30 November 2010. http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/margaret-tighe.-the-most-powerful-woman-in-victoria/
  9. ↑ Szymanska, Paulina (21 April 2018). "Case 82: Maria Korp". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Key dates in Maria Korp saga". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 August 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Anti-abortion protesters carried from clinic". Canberra Times. 27 April 1978. Retrieved 15 March 2024 – via Trove.
  12. ↑ Maher, M (19 March 1986). "House Hansard, Personal Explanations". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  13. ↑ ACT, Legislative Assembly for the. "Hansard of the Legislative Assembly for the ACT". www.hansard.act.gov.au. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "Abortion law reform debated | Green Left". www.greenleft.org.au. 20 May 1998. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Mottram, Padraic Murphy and Murray (13 July 2019). "From the Archives, 2001: Abortion clinic attacked in East Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "'Remorseless' recluse gets life". The Age. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Anti-abortion Terror re-emerges in Melbourne". Freedom Socialist Party. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "Anti-abortion Terror re-emerges in Melbourne". Freedom Socialist Party. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Right to Life group welcomes euthanasia book ban". ABC News. 25 February 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  20. ↑ Symons, Ainsley (2014). "Anti-Abortion Campaigning and the Political Process". Recorder. 279 (2).
  21. ↑ Mills, Tammy (5 June 2013). "Anti-abortion flyer may breach privacy". Blue Mountains Gazette. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "Right to Die will become a Duty to Die". Mirage News. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  23. ↑ Services, Department of Health & Human. "Voluntary assisted dying". www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Strong support for abortion in Australia in wake of decriminalisation". SBS News. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
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