Jock,

"And far from being a secularist party, our Liberal history is one of defending the rights of individuals to practice whatever faith they believe in, or none."

I don't see where you get the "far from" from. Secularism is precisely the neutrality of the state on questions of religion - a necessary part of that right. That's all the NSS is asking for. Yes most NSS members would probably like you to give up catholicism, just as most catholics would probably like to see the reverse. But in neither case should we assume they are looking to impose their views.

The concern with the compulsory extra counselling is that it is about erecting barriers, and running down the clock. It is grotesque to assume that every woman seeking an abortion has not really thought about it already.

We don't know at what stage of development of a foetus it is right to consider it a person. That is a scientific and philosophical question that is presently beyond our grasp. But any policy to make every abortion happen one week later that it would otherwise happen stands a fair chance of pushing a great many unborns past that stage.