The Conservative Party believes that every human life has
inherent dignity and value. We recognise that legal
protection for unborn life is an important matter of public
discussion and that changes to the law should be developed
carefully, transparently and with respect for both the
unborn life and the health and rights of pregnant women. We
will introduce legislation recognising an unborn child from
the beginning of the third trimester, defined for the
purposes of the legislation as 28 weeks gestation, as a
distinct human life entitled to enhanced legal
protection.
Policy commitments
Legal
personhood: Introduce an Unborn Child (Legal Personhood and
Rights) Act recognising an unborn child as a legal person
from the last trimester, with rights and protections
expressly defined by legislation.
Right to life:
Establish the right to life of the unborn child as a
fundamental legal interest that Parliament and the courts
must take into account when interpreting and applying the
law.
Protection from unlawful harm: Strengthen legal
protections against the intentional unlawful killing,
assault or injury of an unborn child.
Protection of
pregnant women: Ensure that legislation does not criminalise
a pregnant woman for the natural outcome of her pregnancy,
miscarriage, or seeking necessary medical care. Establish
clear protections for healthcare professionals providing
lawful and necessary treatment.
Support for mothers
and families: Expand practical support for women facing
crisis pregnancies, including access to counselling,
maternity care, financial assistance and adoption
information, so that no woman feels compelled to end a
pregnancy because she lacks support.
Legislative
objective
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The Conservative Party will seek to
establish a coherent legal framework in which the unborn
child is recognised as a human life deserving of legal
protection, with clearly defined rights, responsibilities
and safeguards. The legislation will expressly address how
those rights interact with the rights and medical needs of
the pregnant woman.
The Conservative Party recognises
that an unplanned pregnancy can bring financial hardship,
emotional distress, housing insecurity and uncertainty about
the future. Women facing these circumstances deserve
practical assistance, compassionate support and genuine
choices.
We will establish a Pregnancy and Family
Support Programme to help women who are pregnant and do not
feel able or prepared to raise a child.
Our policy
commitments are:
1. Pregnancy Support
Payment
Provide eligible pregnant women experiencing
financial hardship with targeted financial assistance during
pregnancy to help meet essential costs, including food,
maternity clothing, transport and medical
appointments.
2. Housing security
Work with
housing providers and community organisations to improve
access to safe, temporary accommodation for pregnant women
who are homeless, escaping violence or at risk of losing
their housing.
3. A dedicated pregnancy support
service
Establish a confidential service connecting
pregnant women with practical assistance, independent
counselling, maternity care, budgeting support,
accommodation and relevant government benefits.
4.
Support for single mothers and families
Improve
access to parenting assistance, childcare, financial advice
and community support, recognising that women should not
face the costs and responsibilities of raising a child
without help.
6. Adoption and alternative
care
Ensure that women who do not wish or feel able
to raise a child can access independent information about
lawful adoption and other available care arrangements.
Counselling must be non-coercive, and decisions must be made
freely and with appropriate safeguards.
7. Practical
support beyond birth
Provide eligible families with a
clear pathway to ongoing assistance after childbirth,
including access to health services, early childhood
support, parenting programmes and financial
assistance.
Our commitment
We believe that
protecting unborn life must be accompanied by a commitment
to support women in practical ways. We will work towards a
New Zealand where a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy is
not left to manage financial hardship, homelessness or fear
alone, and where she has access to meaningful support to
make an informed decision about her
future.
