Contraception and welfare

Stuff reports:

The Government’s plan to offer free long-term contraception for beneficiaries and their daughters is being labelled as an insult and intrusive to women’s right to have children.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett yesterday said contraception would eventually be fully funded for female beneficiaries and their 16 to 19-year-old daughters.

Oh my God how mean and nasty. Having taxpayers fund free contraception.

Auckland Action Against Poverty spokeswoman Sue Bradford this morning said while the contraception was voluntary, it was “totally unacceptable” for the Government to get involved in women’s reproduction.

So Sue is arguing against any taxpayer subsidy for contraception for any woman? She should join ACT!

Bradford said the Government was persuading women to take contraception through sanctions, such as having beneficiaries who have an additional child on the benefit to look for work when that child was one.

“We believe that women in this country have the right to control their own reproduction,” she said.

They do. But taxpayers also have the right to say if you have half a dozen kids while on the benefit, we won’t keep paying for your choices.