News

Christian advocacy group FamilyVoice Australia is urging a review of media classification after parents noticed their children were distressed by watching films inappropriately labelled as 'PG'.

"The overwhelming majority of parents want changes to the classification system,” said FamilyVoice National Director Ashley Saunders.

“The categories G, PG, M and MA15+ are so broad that they give little information to families,” he said.

"Parents are telling us their children are frequently exposed to violence, especially in promotional clips in cinemas.

“Exposure to such gratuitous content leads to the normalization of physical violence, contributing to unrealistic expectations and sometimes outrageous copy-cat behaviour.” 

A 2017 survey by the Australian Council on Children and the Media found eight out of 10 parents thinks the classification system needs to change, and most wanted an age-based system.

Christian advocacy group FamilyVoice Australia is urging a review of media classification after parents noticed their children were distressed by watching films inappropriately labelled as 'PG'.

"The overwhelming majority of parents want changes to the classification system,” said FamilyVoice National Director Ashley Saunders.

“The categories G, PG, M and MA15+ are so broad that they give little information to families,” he said.

"Parents are telling us their children are frequently exposed to violence, especially in promotional clips in cinemas.

“Exposure to such gratuitous content leads to the normalization of physical violence, contributing to unrealistic expectations and sometimes outrageous copy-cat behaviour.” 

A 2017 survey by the Australian Council on Children and the Media found eight out of 10 parents thinks the classification system needs to change, and most wanted an age-based system.

Christian advocacy group FamilyVoice Australia is calling for an inquiry as news breaks that seven children were left to die after an abortion from 2015 to 2016.

The shocking revelation of the deaths arose on June 15 when the new WA Health Minister Roger Cook responded to a question on notice from Liberal MLC Nick Goiran.

“WA parliamentary leaders and the Health Department are taking no action, even though the neglect of any human who is born alive is a crime under the WA Criminal Code,” said FamilyVoice WA Director Darryl Budge, referring to section 290.

“A total of 27 cases of babies surviving an abortion and being left to die have been reported between July 1999 and December 2016, an increase of seven children over the 2014 figure given by the Hon. Kim Hames,” Mr Budge said.

“Every one of these babies that was expected to die defied all odds and survived premature deliveries, yet they were left to die.

“The numbers mean the trend of two baby deaths per year to 2014 is now as high as four babies per year being left alone to die a slow and painful death after surviving an abortion.

“Of those 27 babies, 21 were at 20 weeks gestation or later.  According to Health Department data, there is no record of medical intervention or resuscitation being undertaken in any of the 27 cases.”

FamilyVoice is campaigning for a parliamentary inquiry to expose the true nature of the situation.

“We hope an inquiry will be a catalyst for better reforms and tightening of government policy,” Mr Budge said.

“The inquiry should also investigate disability discrimination, so that justification of the termination of unborn babies on the basis of their possessing a non-lethal condition such as Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida does not occur,” Mr Budge said.

Department of Health statistics obtained by the Hon. Nick Goiran revealed that in 2016, there were:

  • 7839 induced abortions
  • 664 induced abortions over 12 weeks gestation
  • 631 induced abortions for women under the age of 20
  • 81 approvals given by the Ministerial Panel for abortions at 20 weeks gestation or later
  • 78 induced abortions at 20 weeks gestation or later

There was a shocking new revelation from the WA Health Minister just yesterday!

Seven WA babies were left to die from 2015 to 2016. 

This brings the total to 27 babies left to die from July 1999 to December 2016.

All were survivors of failed abortions, yet doctors failed to provide medical care.

In our media release today, FamilyVoice WA called for a parliamentary inquiry into this matter.

JOIN THE PETITION TO STOP THIS – but don’t delay as it finishes July 31!

We want to remind you to respond to the new petition calling for a parliamentary inquiry into systematic failures that allowed these babies to die.

As WA parliament only accepts hand written petitions, here is how all WA residents can bring light on our State’s treatment of unborn life:

Please read the petition, print it out, and gather physical written signatures.

Collate and post all petition sheets before July 31 to Coalition for the Defence of Human Life, PO Box 2257, Yokine South, WA 6060.

“FamilyVoice Australia does not advocate discrimination against persons on the basis of their mental or physical health, despite the implication of news reports today,” said FamilyVoice National Director Ashley Saunders.

“We have absolutely no desire to exclude disabled persons.

“Our policy submission raises concerns about problematic behaviours, not disability status.

“We hold the view that it would be most unhelpful if a religious organisation had no option but to engage someone in a public role who (for example), struggled with uncontrollable urges to loudly vocalise profanity or sexually explicit phraseology that would upset family worship services,” he said.

“I hasten to point out that our staff members have a very long and positive association with people who have quite serious mental health challenges.”