When the Hobart Private Hospital was bought by Catholic provider Calvary Health Care, there was an outcry over future access to some procedures, such as abortions, vasectomies, IVF, gender affirming surgery and assisted suicide.
Several news outlets covered the controversy, including the ABC and the Mercury (behind paywall).
Anne Sherston, President of the Human Life Protection Society, has responded to one such article which appeared in the Mercury; her letter was published in that publication on February 6th.
As President of the Human Life Protection Society in Tasmania, I am writing in response to the article “Access in Jeopardy,” by Judy Augustine, published in The Mercury on December 31, 2025.
Kelly Bruce, CEO of Women’s Health Tasmania, expressed concerns about women’s reproductive health in Tasmania, particularly the reduction of support for surgical terminations. This raises an important question: Why is abortion considered part of “reproductive health,” when the term “reproductive” means
producing new life?What are people actually fearing? Is it that abortion is not going to be as easily accessible? Why are people so eager to make a human being so disposable?
CEO Kelly Bruce stated, “In practice, public hospitals really only provide surgical terminations up to 14 weeks, though there are some exceptions.”
Babies have been known to be born at 16 weeks. There should be no reason a baby needs to be aborted in a late-term pregnancy; caesarean needs to be the only option in these circumstances.
The fact that Calvary is a Catholic organisation would help uphold the values we should all hold dear. If Calvary is forced into allowing abortions, this would go against religious freedom.
Who are we to say who lives or dies when it comes to an unexpected pregnancy, or, for that matter, for someone who is near death? Not one person has the right to interfere with that. Regarding Voluntary Assisted Dying, there is no evidence that the existing safeguards are sufficient to prevent abuse.
When a woman has had an abortion, not only does the unborn baby die, but the woman’s spirit dies as well. This creates a list of numerous other issues and problems, starting with the mental health of the woman.
Family Planning Tasmania CEO Marcus Di Martino commented that
Pregnancy choices and empowering women to have control of their sexual and reproductive health are really important.” This being so important to women, more education needs to be provided to allow women to be completely informed of the choices they can be provided with, such as keeping the baby or
putting it up for adoption. The baby is innocent and the most vulnerable in this issue, and does not need to be aborted. An unborn baby, in fact, has “No Choice.”We have enough babies being lost to abortion; we don’t need another facility to join the ranks.