Australian Bill Allows for Sterilizations Without Parental Consent at Any Age

Australian Bill Allows for Sterilizations Without Parental Consent at Any Age




Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post

Following the call by ethicists for after-birth abortions and the press explosion surrounding the ‘Euthanasia Coaster‘, new legislation from Australia is now paving the way for children of any age to consent to sterilization — without parental consent.

That’s right, if a psychiatrist determines that a child under the age
of 18 years is ‘sufficiently mature’, they will be sterilized without
any say from the parents. Again, there is no age minimum, as long as they are ‘mature‘ enough.

The legislation, known as the Draft Mental Health Bill 2011, also allows for 12-year-olds to consent to psychosurgery and electroshock. You can view the bill for yourself on the Australian Mental Health government website.

Written by the Western Australia Mental Health Commission (MHC) and
overseen by Mental Health Commissioner and clinical psychologist Mr
Eddie Bartnik, objections can still be submitted to Australian
parliamentary members in each state until March 9th.

Some main points of the bill read:
<blockquote>

• CHILDREN OF ANY AGE TO CONSENT TO STERILISATION: If
  a psychiatrist decides that a child (under 18 years) has sufficient
  maturity, he or she will be able to consent to sterilisation. Parental
  consent will not be needed. Only after the sterilisation procedure has
  been performed does it have to be reported and then only to the Chief
  Psychiatrist. [Pages: 135 & 136 of the Draft Mental Health Bill
  2011]
  

• 12 YEAR OLDS WILL BE ABLE TO CONSENT TO PSYCHOSURGERY:
  Banned in N.S.W. and the N.T., psychosurgery irreversibly damages the
  brain by surgery, burning or inserting electrodes. This draft bill
  proposes to allow a 12 year old child, if considered to be
  sufficiently mature by a psychiatrist, to be able to consent to
  psychosurgery. Once the child has consented it goes before the Mental
  Health Tribunal (MHT) for approval. Parental consent is also not
  needed for the MHT to approve the psychosurgery. [Pages: 108, 109,
  110, 197,198, 199, 213]
  

• 12 YEAR OLDS WILL BE ABLE TO CONSENT TO ELECTROSHOCK
  (ECT): Electroshock is hundreds of volts of electricity to the head.
  Any child aged 12 and over, whom a child and adolescent psychiatrist
  decides is “mature” enough, will be able to consent to electroshock.
  Also, once consent is given, there is no requirement for parents or
  anyone, including the MHT, to approve the electroshock. Electroshock
  should be banned. Its use on the elderly, pregnant women and children
  is especially destructive. [Pages: 100, 101, 103, 104, 194, 105]
  

</blockquote>
Action will need to be taken to make sure the
bill does not pass. Objections can be sent to the Mental Health
Commission and to Australian state legislators. Feedback options come
to a close on the 9th of March at 5pm, so it is important to voice your
opposition today. Here are a few ways to contact the Mental Health Commission and state your objection to the bill:

• Email: contactus@mentalhealth.wa.gov.au
  

• Mail: GPO Box X2299 Perth Business Centre, W.A. 6847
  

• Find Australian Mental Health Ministers, Health Ministers and local Members of Parliament: www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/memblist.nsf/WAllMembers
  

Source:-
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/03/australian-bill-allows-for.html