RENEE Heath has finally confirmed her stance on abortion after being accused of dodging the media, saying she supports safe access to the procedure.
The Liberal candidate for the Eastern Victoria region, who has been linked to the controversial City Builders Church in Sale, and is almost certain to win the seat, told the Gippsland Times on Wednesday morning that abortion should be “safe, legal and rare”.
Dr Heath was sacked by Liberal Party leader Matt Guy in the wake of allegations that she was an “agent” to advance an ultra-conservative political agenda through her religious affiliation with the City Builders Church.
Despite Matt Guy saying Dr Heath will not be part of the Liberal party room, Dr Heath is almost certain to be elected to the state’s upper house, as she is first on the ballot for Eastern Victoria, and with early voting already open, she cannot be disendorsed or removed from the ticket.
The Gippsland Times asked Renee Heath if she would fight to stay in the Liberal party room, or if she would represent Eastern Victoria as an independent, or join another party.
She was also asked what policies she would be personally pushing for in Parliament aside from those announced by the Liberals, and to clarify her stance on abortion.
She declined to answer most of those questions directly, but reiterated her dedication to the Liberal Party.
Dr Heath instead provided a statement.
“I’m focused on the election, not on myself at the moment. We have one job and that is to win government. Daniel Andrews has to go. He has done enough to destroy this state – it’s time for the Liberals to rebuild it,” the statement read.
“My priorities are completely in line with Matt Guy and the Liberal Party. I love the Liberal Party. I do not have my own agenda.
“My faith doesn’t hold others to account. My faith holds me to account.
“While Daniel Andrews has been telling us all how to live and what to think, people have been dying waiting for an ambulance. It’s time for the government to reprioritise.
“My stance on abortion is safe, legal and rare.
“It’s election time. Unfortunately, it is expected that people with different political motivations will say things that are designed to discredit and defame their opponents.”
Until this point, except in very few instances, Dr Heath had declined interviews or refused to comment on key policy issues in the lead-up to the investigation into the Church by 60 Minutes and The Age.
Dr Heath told commentator Andrew Bolt on Sky News this week that she did not support gay conversion therapy. The Church has also denied supporting or conducting the practise.
Dr Heath has also said she supports a separation of church and state.
“I have never attempted to impose my religious views on others in the Liberal Party and I do not intend to do so now,” she told 60 Minutes hours before their investigation aired.
“As I have repeatedly stated, the reason I am a Liberal is because I believe in the right of every individual to live life according to their convictions, beliefs and conscience without interference from government.
“This applies regardless of your gender, sexuality, faith and any other characteristics that makes (sic) you who you are.”
The phrase “safe, legal and rare” was first used prominently by then US presidential candidate Bill Clinton in 1992, and repeated by Hillary Clinton in 2008. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott also used the phrase in 2013 when asked if he would change abortion laws.
The phrase has been used by public figures to express support for abortion access, with the word “rare” implying they feel conflicted about the procedure. The phrase has on occasion been shortened to “safe and legal” to avoid stigmatising abortion.
Timothy Dragan, the Liberal candidate for Narre Warren North in Melbourne, apologised this week after he said in a leaked recording that he would vote to ban abortion.
Upper house MP Bernie Finn was kicked out of the Liberal Party in May after a series of anti-abortion posts on social media. Liberal leader Matt Guy said following the removal, that he expected members to “uphold respectful discourse”.
