National’s Christopher Luxon says the fall of Roe v Wade in the US came as a ‘shock’ to many

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has made it clear that New Zealand will not reconsider the subject of abortion in the wake of changes in the US.

The pressure is mounting after the US Supreme Court last week removed the nationwide right to abortion in America by reversing its 1973 Roe v Wade decision.

Luxon has a “pro-life” stance and believes abortion is tantamount to murder, but has promised that New Zealand’s abortion laws will not be “re-litigated or revisited” when he becomes prime minister. There are a number of views expressed by MPs on the issue in the National Party.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson accused Luxon on Monday of “spinning” the promises to retain abortion rights.

“It’s good news if that’s what Christopher Luxon says he’s going to do, but I can also understand why people might be skeptical about what he’s said in the past, as more than half of his caucus actually voted against it. , ”he said in the Beehive on Monday.

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Luxon posted a statement on Twitter on Sunday in which it stated the overthrow of Roe vs. Wade called “disturbing to many women everywhere” and that he sympathized with them.

But he had to tell MP Simon O’Connor to delete a social media post in which he said it was a “good day” after the US Supreme Court last week took away the nationwide right to abortion. The post was also held by national MP Simeon Brown.

New Zealand decriminalized abortion two years ago, but MPs from National, Labor and New Zealand First voted against the bill – which passed by 68 votes to 51.

For Labor, 37 voted for and 19 against. National’s caucus voted 19 in favor and 35 against, with one MP absent.

Nanaia Mahuta and Damien O’Connor were senior Labor ministers who voted against the bill.