Trump pardons pro-lifers so why can’t Australia’s Kathy Clubb & Graeme Preston have their convictions overturned?
Family First calls on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton to fight for the overturning of convictions against Australia’s convicted pro-life advocates Kathy Clubb and Graeme Preston.
This follow’s Donald Trump's decision this week to pardon 23 pro-life advocates who were unjustly convicted under the US’s so-called Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Trump’s commendable action underscores the importance of safeguarding the rights of citizens advocating for the sanctity of life.
President Trump emphasised the peaceful nature of these protests, stating, "They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people."
He further described the group as "peaceful protesters" who were unjustly penalised for their advocacy.
This development prompts us to reflect on similar situations within Australia, particularly the cases of pro-life advocates Kathy Clubb and Graham Preston.
Both were convicted under laws prohibiting protests within exclusion zones around abortion mills.
In 2016, Clubb was arrested for attempting to hand a pamphlet to a couple outside a Melbourne clinic, while Preston faced charges for protesting within the exclusion zone of a Hobart clinic in 2014 and 2015.
Their appeals to the High Court were dismissed, with the court ruling that the laws served a legitimate purpose and outweighed concerns about freedom of speech within the zones.
This decision has been criticised for its implications on free speech and the ability to offer assistance to women considering abortion.
Pro-life leaders have denounced the ruling, stating it has grave implications for freedom of speech in Australia as well as the safety of women and children.
Family First agrees.
In light of President Trump's recent pardons, Family First calls upon Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to advocate for the overturning of the convictions of Kathy Clubb and Graham Preston.
Their peaceful pro-life advocacy should not be criminalised, and their actions were driven by a genuine concern for both unborn children and their mothers.