Bid ensure abortion access reopens political rifts
Nurses and midwives would be able to prescribe drugs for medical abortions in a plan causing rifts within major parties and prompting a former prime minister to speak out.
The bill from a Greens MP that aims to overcome abortion deserts across NSW has sparked large protests outside parliament and one MP to backtrack "insensitive language" invoking the Nazis during a debate this week.
Votes on the legislation will also likely divide major parties with Labor, Liberals and the Nationals allowing MPs to vote on their conscience.
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The MP authoring the bill says abortion is legal but not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Amanda Cohn's proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance" among other tweaks to the law.
Health Minister Ryan Park says changes on abortion drugs reflect what is happening elsewhere. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
Health Minister Ryan Park told reporters on Thursday he would consider supporting nurses and midwives being able to prescribe abortion drugs.
"That reflects what's happening in other jurisdictions and the changes that the (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has made," he said.
But the minister does not support proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures, and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers.
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Senior Nationals MP Sarah Mitchell told parliament Mr Park and future health ministers need to ensure women could access abortion services near their home.
"It should not be dependent on where someone lives or their postcode."
But she did not support making it a legislative requirement.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott framed the abortion bill as an attack on freedom of conscience. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott framed the bill as an attack on people's right to act on their moral beliefs.
"Freedom of conscience should be at the heart of any decent, civilised society and this legislation which is about to be rammed through the state parliament is a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience," he told an anti-abortion rally outside parliament on Wednesday night.
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Sydney MP Alex Greenwich told AAP Dr Cohn's bill builds on the legislation he introduced to decriminalise abortion in 2019.
Allowing nurses and midwives to prescribe abortion drugs would address concerns about access in regional and rural areas.
"That is a really straightforward change but it will make a huge difference," he said, backing the bill.
Alex Greenwich says the bill builds on the legislation he introduced to decriminalise abortion. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)
Meanwhile, upper house MP Chris Rath on Thursday apologised for invoking Nazis while criticising the bill as "authoritarian" on Tuesday night.
The comparison was unintended, the senior moderate Liberal said in a statement.
"I regret and apologise for the insensitive language that was used."
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Mr Rath told parliament it was "bizarre" to categorise abortion as health care and doing so implied it was something that should, rather than could occur.
His contribution to the debate displayed an ignorance of the issues, Mr Greenwich said.
"The women of NSW do not need Chris Rath's judgment, particularly on an issue he clearly knows very little about."
The state was one of the last in Australia to decriminalise abortion, behind only WA, which made the change in March 2024.
Debate was expected to continue in the NSW upper house on Thursday night with a vote in the lower house later in May.
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