E-Petition

The Petition of citizens of Queensland draws to the attention of the House their concern that the current ban on parliamentary debate about termination of pregnancy law does not actually quell community debate about the issue (see e-petition 4481-26 for example) but allows it to fester as a source of frustration to the many people who are deeply interested in it.

Your petitioners believe that this issue is a clear example where the judgement of the 3.8 million voting citizens of Queensland should be determinative, rather than the potentially unrepresentative judgement of only 93 MPs.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to put forward a referendum or official postal survey (like that arranged by the federal government on same-sex marriage law) to accurately determine the majority view of all Queensland voters on the issues listed below, concurrent with the next state general election:

1. The gestation period for allowing unrestricted access to termination mechanisms (if any);
2. The number and type of professionals required to approve a termination after the previous time period has passed;
3. Requirements (or not) for conscientious objectors to terminations to refer the mother to other professionals; 
4. Laws relating to protests and/or signage in the vicinity of termination clinics;
5. The possibility of rapists also being charged with the manslaughter if a pregnancy is terminated due to the extreme trauma caused to the mother by the assault and subsequent pregnancy; and 
   
   with each issue allowing an appropriately wide range of options to be selected.