Mr Finn, who is well known for his controversial views, said in an interview that many rapists and paedophiles were using abortion to destroy evidence of their crimes. He told the Werribee-Hoppers Crossing-Point Cook Star newspaper that "in this day and age", there is no acceptable reason for having an abortion. "In this day and age, no, I don't think there is any acceptable reason for having an abortion," Mr Finn is quoted as saying. "In years gone by when they needed to kill the baby to save the mother then it might have been acceptable, but in today's world I think that's a very 1950s argument." In a claim likely to create further headaches for Dr Napthine, the Liberal MP, who organises the annual pro-life protest March for the Babies, said abortion in cases of rape was like being raped a second time and was being used as defence by paedophiles and rapists.

"I think many rapists and particularly paedophiles use abortion as a defence, they use it as a way to destroy the evidence," he said. "I've spoken to a number of women who have been raped and then had abortions and they told me that from their point of view having an abortion was like being raped a second time. "I don't think abortion is acceptable under any circumstances and I don't see why we should be killing babies for the crime of the father." Jo Wainer from Reproductive Choice Australia called on the Liberal Party to disendorse Mr Finn, saying only a tiny minority of the community shared his extreme views. "He has always taken quite an extreme view which has no sympathy at all for women’s situations. He is out of touch with general public opinion. I think it would be in the intertests of the Liberal Party to disendorse him,’’ Dr Wainer said.

Women’s Health Victoria executive director Rita Butera said abortion was a safe, legal and important service for Victorian women, and people should not be distracted by Mr Finn's comments. The comments are reminiscent of those of US Republican senate hopeful Todd Akin, who said "legitimate rape" is unlikely to cause pregnancy. "If it's legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Mr Akin said. Debate about women's reproductive rights has re-entered the political spectrum, with balance-of-power MP Geoff Shaw drafting a private member's bill to changes the state's abortion laws. Mr Shaw told The Age last month that he hoped his bill would go before parliament in the next few months.

Mr Shaw's bill is understood to scrap the requirement for doctors who are conscientious objectors to abortion to provide a referral to another medical practitioner without an objection. Last year, Dr Napthine moved to quell fears from pro-choice movement by releasing a video saying he nor his government had any intention of introducing legislation to reduce a woman's right to choose. "As Premier, neither I, nor my government, have any intention of introducing legislation, that would reduce a woman's right to choose," he said. But many said the video raised more questions than it answered and called on the Premier to block Mr Shaw's plans introduce the bill. with Adam Carey