Swansea's "Independent" Council Chairman defends views on complusory sterilisation

Whilst I did not name her in my post about two Swansea Councillors who made various statements in support of enforced sterilisation at a recent closed meeting, Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald nevertheless has identified herself as one of the persons in question.

She claims, in an email to my Deputy Group Leader, that she was not advocating compulsory sterilisation for people who are judged to be "unsuitable" as parents, but that she was simply arguing the case for "compulsory long-term contraception". Hmmmm....well, that's all right then, isn't it?!?!?

To make matters worse, Councillor Fitzgerald (who used to be the Cabinet Member for Social Service in Swansea, until she was forced out over her incompetent leadership of the Department, which led to the intervention of the Welsh Assembly Government in the wake of the tragic death of a toddler who should have been protected by the Council), has claimed that "European countries" have a policy similar to the one she supports. REALLY?!?!?

The only citation I have found relating to the European nations employing any form of compulsory sterilisation - SORRY - long term contraception (!) is in Germany - between about 1933 and 1945.

I wonder what the views of Chris Holley, the alleged "Liberal" Democrat Leader of Swansea Council and his apologist-in-chief Peter Black AM think of all this? Presumably they must have a view on one of their senior coalition partners advocating a policy that would fall foul of international criminal law as a crime against humanity?

Councillor Fitzgerald's email appears below:

-----Original Message-----
From: Fitzgerald, Wendy (Councillor)
Sent: 17 July 2009 09:31
To: Hood-Williams, Paxton (Councillor)
Subject: Wednesday's Seminar for Members

So much for the discussion that we had about the value of privacy in respect of these meetings. It’s really interesting, because there was a debate afterwards as to how long it would be before the above got out – and needless to say it’s just over 24 hours! I’m making the assumption it was through you that Rene received the information and if this is not the case and it was via a member of the Labour group, then I apologise.

As a point of interest, had David Phillips managed to stop bellowing for just a few seconds, I could have elaborated and advised that what is happening in some European countries is actually enforced long term contraception, not by using pills or anything that can be missed or avoided, but by implants and similar. It is not sterilisation as such as it is easily reversible. But I’m afraid Councillor Phillips wasn’t interested in listening to facts though, only to the sound of his very loudly shouted mantra.