Nurses and midwifes allowed to prescribe abortions in NSW bringing state in line with rest of Australia
Abortion acess in NSW will expand as the state allows nurses and midwives to prescribe drugs to terminate pregnancies.
An amended bill to address the address the state's 'abortion deserts' was passed in NSW parliament's lower house on Wednesday.
It was put forward by Greens MP Amanda Cohn to remove barriers to abortion for women in areas outside major cities.
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The bill will still need to return to the state's upper house, which does not sit again until May 27.
Sixty-five lower house MPs supported the change in a conscience vote, while 20 were opposed.
Political leaders lamented the 'Americanisation' of the debate around increasing access.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman alleged in parliament that a prominent campaigner threatened to derail his leadership if he supported the bill.
Anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe told him she would 'lead a public campaign aimed at encouraging a grassroots opposition to you as Liberal leader,' Speakman told MPs under parliamentary privilege.
'I will not cave to brazen bullying like this, nor to the Americanisation of NSW politics,' he said.
Speakman supported the bill, calling it 'a shadow of its former self'.
The pared-back bill has been narrowed along guidelines from the national regulator, allowing qualified nurse practitioner and endorsed midwives to prescribe abortion medication known as MS-2 Step.
'It can no longer be characterised as a 'radical Greens bill',' Speakman said.
Premier Chris Minns backed his political rival, suggesting Dr Howe had spread an 'enormous amount of misinformation and lies' on her social media channels.
'It's whipped up a lot of good people in the community believing that the legislative changes are far more extensive than they in fact were,' Minns said.
AAP FactCheck in March debunked the Adelaide Law School professor's claim the bill would 'force the closure of all Christian and Catholic hospitals unless they perform abortions'.
The push to expand abortion access came after revelations a woman was denied an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan District Hospital, in the southeast of NSW, in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange, in the Central Tablelands, restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering Health Minister Ryan Park to intervene and reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was permitted by the courts in NSW in 1971 and decriminalised in 2019 but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Rules for abortion acrosss Australia
The ACT, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia have also permitted qualified nurses and midwives to prescribe abortion drugs following advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
But when it comes to abortion, there are no federal laws and the approach varies across Australia, according to state and territory governments and national abortion provider and advocate MSI Australia.
In the ACT, gestational limits include nine weeks for medical abortions and 16 weeks for surgical abortions, but services are accessible after that time with referrals from a doctor
Nurses and midwives in the ACT are also permitted to prescribe drugs for medical terminations
In the Northern Territory and Victoria, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks gestation, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors
In Queensland, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors.
Nurses and midwives in Queensland are also permitted to prescribe and administer drugs for medical terminations
In NSW, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors.
Nurses and midwives will be able to prescribe drugs for medical terminations up to nine weeks gestation under legislation before parliament.
In Tasmania, abortion is legal up to 16 weeks, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors.
In South Australia, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks and six days, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors.
Nurses and midwives are also permitted to prescribe drugs for medical terminations.
In Western Australia, abortion is legal up to 23 weeks, and permitted after that in special or emergency circumstances with approval from two doctors.
Nurses and midwives in Western Australia are also permitted to prescribe drugs for medical terminations.
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The election would be Tasmania's fourth in seven years, unless the Liberal party opts to remove Mr Rockliff and negotiate a new deal with crossbenchers. Mr Winter has ruled out forming government in a deal with the Greens, without whom Labor doesn't have the numbers. The Labor leader is continuing to call for Mr Rockliff to stand aside instead of calling another election. "He's carrying on at the moment like a spoiled child that's been given out in a game of cricket," Mr Winter said. "And then instead of just accepting the umpire's decision he's picking up his bat and ball and going home." Amid the political turmoil, Mr Rockliff has ordered prominent economist Saul Eslake not to prepare a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support Tasmania's troubled finances. Mr Winter said he didn't believe Mr Rockliff's commitment not to pursue privatisation, declaring the premier would "say anything" to cling to power. 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A former federal Liberal maverick has put her hand up to run in a looming state election, as the opposition likens the premier to a spoiled brat. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has refused to stand down after parliament passed a vote of no-confidence, led by state Labor leader Dean Winter, over the state budget. The starter's gun is yet to be fired on voters heading back to the polls, but the premier could pull the trigger as early as Tuesday. Mr Rockliff wheeled out former federal MP Bridget Archer on Sunday, revealing she would seek preselection for the state seat of Bass. In May, Ms Archer lost her federal seat of Bass to teacher and first-time federal candidate Jess Teesdale after a 9.4 per cent swing against her. Ms Archer admitted the federal election had been "bruising" and she hadn't had time to completely process it. "Do I want to go out and fight another election? No, I don't," she told reporters. "I suspect the people of Tasmania don't want to be going to another election but the reckless and selfish actions of Dean Winter ... have sent us to this situation." The former George Town mayor has been one of the most prominent Liberal moderates in Canberra since 2019 and repeatedly crossed the floor to vote against her own party. Reflecting on her election defeat, Ms Archer said she "wore the consequences" of the Liberals' failure to deal with some of the issues she spoke out against. The 50-year-old denied she was in danger of jumping from one sinking ship to another and vowed not to shy away from her views if elected to state parliament. "I'm not going to be anybody's stooge or anybody's puppet," she said. "I am going to say exactly what I think." Mr Rockliff described Ms Archer as a "fighter" and was categoric he would lead the party to the election. "Dean Winter's guaranteed the election," he said, adding an election date would be determined in the coming week. 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A planned $945 million stadium for Hobart has also been caught in the crossfire of the political chaos. The roofed Macquarie Point proposal is a condition of the deal to issue a 19th AFL team licence for the Tasmania Devils. Both major party leaders support the proposed stadium but special legislation to grant it planning approval has been thrown off course by the motion. Mr Winter took aim at "interstate footy people" for driving a narrative his intervention was "all about the stadium". "If these interstate commentators want to try make this all about a stadium they are severely mistaken," he said. "Tasmanians have got higher priorities." Tasmanian AFL legends Nick and Jack Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson and Brendon Gale have publicly lamented the uncertainty surrounding the stadium and team. Firebrand Senator Jacqui Lambie, independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie and acclaimed author Richard Flanagan are among well-known Tasmanians who oppose the project.
