As it stands, abortion has been decriminalised in all Australian states and territories. While the rules differ between each state government, it has widely been thought that abortion as an issue has been politically settled in Australia. Well, until now.
Over the last month, debates over the contentious issue have been taking place in Queensland and South Australia. In South Australia, the state government just blocked a bill which would have forced women seeking abortion after 28 weeks to give birth, regardless of the health outcomes for the pregnant person or baby. Yep, pretty horrific, hey?
The Live Births Amendment Bill was introduced by Liberal Member of the Legislative Council Ben Hood. It took three hours of debate before the reforms were voted down, 10 votes to nine. According to the ABC, Liberal MP Michelle Lensink came to parliament to vote against the reforms, even though she’s currently on leave to undergo chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, in Queensland, it’s looking like abortion could be back on the table if the Liberal National Party (LNP) is elected in the upcoming state election this weekend. According to the current polls, it looks like a LNP win is very likely.
So, if the LNP is elected, what will happen to the current landscape of abortion in Queensland and what flow-on effects could that lead to within the rest of the country?
How did abortion become an election issue in Queensland in 2024?
The abortion issue kicked off when the leader of Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Robbie Katter vowed to repeal Queensland’s abortion laws. The KAP has stated that it plans on introducing a private member’s bill during the next term of Queensland’s parliament which would scale back abortion rights and access. If this bill comes to fruition, it could start a conscience vote.
“We will, quick as you like, put a repeal bill back into the Queensland parliament on those abortion laws,” Katter said.
However, this stance conflicts with the message peddled by Opposition Leader David Crisafulli who previously stated that there would be “no change” to abortion laws if the LNP government were to be elected.
The thing is when Labor introduced the bill to decriminalise abortion in Queensland back in 2018, it was LNP party policy that abortion should remain a criminal offence. Both Crisafulli and Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie voted against the bill. While this doesn’t mean that they’d definitely back the bill, it is unnerving to know that two powerful men who may find themselves in power following this weekend’s election are not personally in support of women’s right to choose.
Following discussions of potential repeals, healthcare groups including Children by Choice, Women’s Health Services Alliances and Qld Sexual Assault Network have issued a united letter against the changes.
“We are deeply concerned by recent discussions suggesting the potential re-criminalisation of abortion. This would be a harmful step backwards, risking the health and safety of pregnant people and undoing years of progress,” the letter read, per ABC.
“Access to abortion is essential health care. Restricting it leads to dangerous consequences, with vulnerable communities facing the greatest harm. We must ensure that decisions about pregnancy remain personal and healthcare-based, not politicised.”
What are the current laws Australia-wide?
Currently, abortion is available and decriminalised Australia-wide. As of 2018, Queensland state law allows pregnancy terminations up to 22 weeks. After that, abortions can still be accessed if the medical practitioner who provides the termination consults with another practitioner who agrees the termination should occur. The same deal goes for New South Wales.
In South Australia, pregnant people can access abortions up to 22 weeks and six days if deemed medically appropriate and approved by two medical professionals.
In Victoria and the Northern Territory, abortions are provided up to 24 weeks but after that point, two medical practitioners need to sign off.
The Australian Capital Territory has no limit for when terminations can occur while Tasmania allows abortions up to 16 weeks.
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