c. Ensure equitable access to medical and surgical abortion services. d. Provide, within one year, information on the steps taken to treat abortion as a health care, rather than a criminal issue. Sterilisation 36. Sterilisation is legal in New Zealand under the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act. The consent of an intellectually disabled girl under the age of 18 is not required before sterilisation can be performed. The Care of Children Act provides that a minor’s guardians together with the appropriate medical professionals have the authority to decide which medical treatments they will receive,43 and the High Court has observed that court authorisation for sterilisation is not required.44 In similar jurisdictions, such as Australia, a court order is required before sterilisation can occur. Recommendation 9 Enact legislation prohibiting the use of sterilisation on boys and girls with disabilities, and on adults with disabilities, in the absence of their prior, fully informed, and free consent. Maternity care 37. There is a shortage of midwives, who act as lead maternity carers for most New Zealand women. This shortage is attributed to low pay, high overhead costs, and travel costs not being covered by the funding contract. Over 140 women in Canterbury were unable to find a lead maternity carer over the 2017/18 Christmas period.45 The Government recently announced that the Ministry of Health and the New Zealand College of Midwives are working together on a maternity programme to address current pressure on midwives. Recommendation 10 Report back to the Committee within one year on measures taken to address the current critical shortage of midwives. 43 Care of Children Act 2004 s36(1) Re X [1991] 2 NZLR 365 (HC) 45Henry, Dubby (2018) Midwifery in 'crisis' with pregnant women unable to find lead maternity carers, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11997502 44 13