'Regardless of postcode': abortion access laws debated

The Advertiser

13-05-2025

Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636