The Racket How Abortion Became Legal in Australia

by Haigh, Gideon

• ISBN13: 9780522855784
• ISBN10: 0522855784
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Melbourne University Press

Summary

Chronicling the rise and fall of an extraordinary web of influence, this account documents the events that culminated in the landmark ruling that made abortion legal in Australia and caused a public inquiry that humiliated a powerful government and glamorous police force. With forensic skill and psychological subtlety, this is a story of corruption, suffering, murder, suicide, courtroom drama, and political machinations. Artfully combining cultural history, investigative journalism, and true crime, this analysis examines the full spectrum of people involved, from the women themselves to the lawmakers, police, campaigners, and abortionistswho included a multimillionaire philanthropist, a communist bush poet, a timid aesthete, and a bankrupt slaughterman. A fascinating and disturbing backstory to an issue that remains ever divisive, this compelling narrative is an important contribution to the ongoing abortion debate.

Author Biography

Gideon Haigh is a journalist with 25 years of experience and the author of Asbestos House: The Secret History of James Hardie Industries and The Cricket War.

Table of Contents

Prologue	p. 1
'The girl is killed and I will be hanged'	p. 11
'I won't be alive in the morning'	p. 25
'Not a fit subject for debate'	p. 40
'That old bastard, he knew'	p. 51
'It's not what you say; it's what we say you say'	p. 66
'Boys in a man's world'	p. 82
'She was only dangerous at times'	p. 94
'Hell, we all do it...'	p. 109
'The b-b-better man won'	p. 124
'I don't think it has anything to do with you'	p. 138
'Look here Doctor, I might have to arrest you'	p. 149
'Didn't you know they were so close to you?'	p. 164
'I don't know whether to shoot myself'	p. 180
'See you in hell, sweetie'	p. 196
Epilogue: "The choice for me'	p. 212
Acknowledgements	p. 226
Bibliography	p. 228
Index	p. 237
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.