Adoption over abortion: MP wants financial incentives for women not to end pregnancies
Pregnant women should be given financial incentives to encourage them to choose adoption over termination, a Tasmanian MP says.
It is part of a push to increase the number of babies available for adoption.
Independent legislative councillor Adriana Taylor, who has two adopted sons, wants to set up a parliamentary inquiry into low adoption rates in Tasmania.
She said her push for the inquiry was prompted by the number of Tasmanians pursuing surrogacy because there were no babies available for local adoption.
Of the 13 adoptions in Tasmania in 2012-13, only two involved babies offered locally.
Others were international adoptions, or children who were known to the adoptive parent.
Mrs Taylor believes a compensation scheme could decrease abortion numbers in the state.
Under the plan, women considering a termination could be compensated for lost income and medical expenses if they opted to instead offer their baby up for adoption.
Mrs Taylor said pregnant women who gave up their child for adoption should be entitled to the same support as altruistic surrogate mothers.
"There might well be a number of women that would choose to carry the child and have it adopted, which would be good for the child and also good for the adoptive parents who are looking to start families," she said.
"We were told that there were about 30,000 abortions in Australia and 1,800 in Tasmania and that there are no babies available for adoption.
"There might be at least some of those babies who are aborted being carried full term and going to families who really, really want children."
Mrs Taylor said it would not be the same as commercial surrogacy.
"We're not going to allow the woman to be paid to have the child. It's making it possible, I suppose."
It is proposed that the fees would be paid by the adoptive parents.
Financial incentive is 'simplistic'
The parliamentary committee is expected to be established on Tuesday and will call for submissions.
Prochoice Tasmania convenor Jenny Ejlak labelled the idea simplistic.
"I think she's [Ms Taylor] made a very simplistic assumption that carrying a pregnancy to term and giving up a baby is something you would do for a few dollars to compensate you for your time," she said.
"I really have a problem with women being pressured when they're faced, with an unplanned pregnancy, in either direction to terminate or to continue.
"It's not a simple thing that your body and mind goes through with a pregnancy, it's not as simple as a choice between just giving away a baby."
While continuing a pregnancy comes at a cost, Ms Ejlak says having a termination is also a significant financial burden.
"To only offer financial assistance for one of those options, rather than both of those options is not increasing a woman's options, it's pressuring her into making the decision that someone else wants her to make."
She called on the Legislative Council to instead investigate how to reduce unplanned pregnancies through measures such as free contraception and sex education in schools.
