NSW abortion law: the decriminalisation reform bill explained

NSW abortion law: the decriminalisation reform bill explained
Opponents claim the new law will allow sex selection and abortion up until birth. But what does the bill actually do?

Michael McGowan
Mon 19 Aug 2019

In the two weeks since an historic bill removing abortion from the New South Wales criminal code passed its first hurdle in the parliament’s lower house, opponents of the legislation have fought hard to stop it becoming law.

Religious leaders, rightwing MPs and conservative media commentators have all mounted a concerted campaign to derail the legislation ahead of the vote. Opponents claim the bill will allow so-called gender or sex selection and abortion “on demand” up until birth.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/19/nsw-abortion-law-the-decriminalisation-reform-bill-explained

NSW abortion law backers unlikely to support calls for sex selection ban

NSW abortion law backers unlikely to support calls for sex selection ban
Supporters of bill to decriminalise abortion confident it can pass despite opponents’ campaign

By Brinkwire
on August 16, 2019

Supporters of a historic bill to decriminalise abortion in New South Wales remain confident it will make it through parliament unscathed despite the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, caving in to calls for bans on so-called “sex selection” terminations.

The bill’s passage through the lower house last week prompted a backlash from rightwing MPs, religious leaders and conservative figures in the media who have mounted a concerted campaign to derail the legislation ahead of the upper house vote.

Continued: https://en.brinkwire.com/canada/nsw-abortion-law-backers-unlikely-to-support-calls-for-sex-selection-ban/

Never mind America, access to abortion is a ‘nightmare’ for many Australians

Never mind America, access to abortion is a 'nightmare' for many Australians
by Van Badham
Monday 30 January 2017

Despite widespread popular support, legislation around abortion in Australia remains subject to political deal-making, leaving access for regional women shamefully limited.

It was unsurprising to American women that their new president moved so swiftly to limit women’s access to reproductive autonomy. Less than a week into his regime, President Trump has reinstated a Ronald Reagan policy known as the “global gag rule”.

Abortion wars are, of course, a visible hallmark of American politics, where denying a woman’s right to choose has long been used as a wedge by Republicans to chip white voters away from supporting Democrat candidates. But while a thumping majority of Australians support women’s abortion rights – around 80%, according to reliable polls – the gap between what we say we believe in here and what we legislate is larger than many would imagine.

[continued at link]
Source, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/30/never-mind-america-access-to-abortion-is-a-nightmare-for-many-australians