Australia: Queensland MPs must seize the moment on abortion

Queensland MPs must seize the moment on abortion
February 26 2017
by Emily Howie and Kate Marsh

Queensland MPs stand at a crossroads when it comes to the state's abortion laws, but one thing is abundantly clear: the status quo is unacceptable. New polling released this week shows overwhelming public support for women's right to choose abortion in Queensland and that voters are turned off by MPs who support criminalising abortion.

Queensland's MPs currently have a unique opportunity to modernise the state's abortion laws. This law reform is vital because the crime of abortion remains in Queensland's Criminal Code, right in between "incest" and "indecent acts". Under the Code, women and doctors risk 7 to 14 years imprisonment for procuring an abortion.

Continued at source: Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/queensland-mps-must-seize-the-moment-on-abortion-20170226-guls2w.html