Ms Liz McDermott:

I am not a medical practitioner, obviously, and I do not claim to talk for the medical profession and the situations they encounter. Do we legislate for terminations for babies just based on a woman saying "I do not want this baby"? That is a cultural shift in this country that I think is massive and we have to acknowledge that. I do not see it as compassionate treatment for the baby or for the woman, either. I see it as a violent act that harms a baby and harms the mother. She cannot know when she is pregnant. Sometimes - I do not want to diminish - I am not saying that women are not capable of making a proper decision - but our hormones are all over the place. We are extremely vulnerable to all kinds of things and our feelings can fluctuate from high to low to being all over the shop throughout pregnancy. I come back to women saying "I had the abortion and I came home and felt awful. I felt stripped of my child. I woke up and they were not there". It is only at that point sometimes that they feel the loss and they regret what they have done. What does the Senator recommend I do or any of us does to that woman? Do we say "well, actually, tough, you made your choice"?