Abortion Rights Aotearoa/(ALRANZ) is deeply concerned, though unsurprised, to see abortion rights being used as a political pawn by Winston Peters and his anti-choice colleagues in Voice for Life (VFL) and the de-registered charity, Family First NZ.
ALRANZ viewed VFL’s public webinar where they advocated jailing women who have abortions. In the September 2025 webinar, “Abolitionism vs Incrementalism: Making Sense of Pro-Life Strategies” a Christian teacher of ethics called in and asked whether women who have abortions should be criminalised. Brendan Malone, on behalf of VFL clearly responded, ‘Yes’. This same caller also asked if VFL wanted to shame women for having abortions, and again the answer was ‘yes’.
Given that agreement on contraception and women’s right to choose has [significantly?] decreased from 78% to 73% (Gender Attitudes Survey, 2025), our concern is that unethical ideas, such as jailing women for having abortions will be amplified by the seemingly strong political network behind these fringe anti-abortion groups.
Family First NZ held its 20th “Forum on the Family” on 11-12 September 2026, where they railed against abortion, ‘wokeness’, and trans tamariki, among other things. In attendance was Winston Peters and his cadre of puritanical wannabe-MAGA list MPs. Additionally, National MP Sam Uffindell attended.
Through their attendance, National and NZ First appear to be friendly with this de-registered charity, which ALRANZ believes is importing overseas legislation that targets trans kids, bodily autonomy, and democracy, to the above-mentioned political parties. Family First NZ recently attended the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) held in June 2026 in London. ARC champions themes of opposition to green economic policies, opposition to abortion, and opposition to multiculturalism, including their goal to define women’s biology in law.
It is our belief that Peters is closely aligned with the anti-choice community in NZ, as evidenced by the ‘exclusive’ interview he gave to Family First NZ on the 7th of October where he said abortions done later in pregnancy could shade into “murder and assassination”, depending on the timing.
ALRANZ has little doubt that National and NZ First, if given another term, would ban access to abortion or attempt to chip away at abortion rights incrementally, as the VFL video explicitly states. This, along with Health Minister Simeon Brown’s lifelong mission to ban abortion, is a real threat to women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
Brown unilaterally banned puberty blockers against all evidence and professional advice – if a Health Minister can ban healthcare access for one group of people, he can and will ban healthcare access for others if given another term.
We urge the public to make an informed choice in this election and oppose political parties that seemingly support overseas right-wing extremist policies in Aotearoa. No one ever thought abortion rights could fall in the US and women warned the public about this for decades – now the US is criminalising women who have abortions once again. We are not the US and New Zealanders will not stand for this. This is not representative of the NZ anti-choice motto, ‘Love them both’- far from it. Bodily autonomy is the law in Aotearoa, as it should be. We will not go back.
ENDS
ALRANZ Media Release, 19 October 2026.
For more information contact the ALRANZ Executive Committee: ALRANZ – Abortion Rights Aotearoa New Zealand & leave us your details so we can reply to your questions or return your call.