Abortion pills to be easier to access after Greens bill passes in NSW despite opposition from Tony Abbott
Legislation brings state in line with others, as opposition leader says he refuses to cave to ‘Americanisation of NSW politics’ after grassroots campaign

Natasha May
Wed 14 May

New South Wales women will have easier access to abortion pills after the state passed a bill allowing nurse practitioners and registered midwives to prescribe the medication.

The bill – which aims to improve access to healthcare for women in rural and regional areas – passed the lower house on Wednesday, despite vocal opposition including by former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Continued; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/14/nsw-medical-abortion-access-bill-passes-both-houses-ntwnfb

What is the new abortion bill in NSW – and why is Tony Abbott trying to stop it?

A proposal to improve access to abortion services could soon become law. So what’s in the bill – and why has it caused heated debate?

Natasha May Health reporter
Tue 13 May 2025

New South Wales decriminalised abortion in 2019 – but it’s still inaccessible for many people in the state.

In February, the Greens NSW spokesperson for health, Dr Amanda Cohn, introduced a new bill in the state’s upper house seeking to amend the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 to improve access to services, particularly in regional and rural parts of the state where there are vast abortion deserts.

The bill’s second and third readings last week prompted heated debate in parliament. It also spilled out on to the steps, with an anti-abortion rally attended by prominent campaigners, including the former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/13/what-is-the-new-abortion-bill-nsw-services-law-reform

Australia – Tony Abbott calls new bill to improve abortion care access an ‘assault on our rights’

by Brianna Boecker
May 7, 2025

Just days after the Liberal party’s shattering election defeat, former prime minister Tony Abbott appeared at an anti-abortion rally against a Greens bill to address barriers to abortion care in New South Wales.

Speaking to the crowd outside the NSW parliament, Abbott condemned the bill, describing it as an “assault on our fundamental rights and freedoms”.

“Shame on the Minns government for engaging in this extremist conspiracy with the Greens,” Abbott said.

Continued: https://womensagenda.com.au/politics/local/tony-abbott-calls-new-bill-to-improve-abortion-care-access-an-assault-on-our-rights/

07.05.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

Australia – Pressure mounts for NSW Health to improve abortion access statewide

By Joanna Woodburn, ABC Central West
March 16, 2025

New South Wales Health is refusing to detail what work it is doing to improve access to abortion services at public hospitals across the state.

The department is reviewing its policies governing termination of pregnancy, after its own report on the state's current abortion laws specifically recommended that ways to balance the rights of conscientiously objecting health practitioners with a woman's entitlement to receive timely care be examined.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/pressure-on-nsw-health-to-improve-abortion-access/105032522

16.03.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Australia – NSW Greens introduce abortion access bill

Pip Hinman
February 24, 2025

Following recommendations from New South Wales Health on abortion as health care, Greens MLC Dr Amanda Cohn has introduced a bill which, if passed, would significantly expand access to abortion services across the state.

According to Family Planning Australia (FPA), almost one in three NSW local government areas do not have a doctor trained to provide medical abortions. Its December report, Use of Medical Abortion Services in NSW, Australia Between 2018–2022, found that women in regional and rural NSW seek medical abortion at more than double the rate of women living in the city.

Continued: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/nsw-greens-introduce-abortion-access-bill

24.02.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025

Australian Medical Association NSW

Dr Amanda Cohn

Dr Emmalee Ford

Dr Kathryn Austin

Family Plannnig Australia

New South Wales Health

Australia – Abortion law reform proposed in NSW after Orange hospital ‘ban’

By Joanna Woodburn, ABC Central West
Tuesday 18 February

A major overhaul of New South Wales's abortion laws, which would make it compulsory for most of the state's hospitals to offer the medical service, has been proposed.

Under the NSW Health directive, which outlines the legal requirements for termination of pregnancy, it is not mandatory for the state's health services to provide abortions. They are only required to offer "referral pathways" to ensure women have "timely access to care".

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-19/abortion-access-law-reform-proposed-nsw-hospitals/104944828

18.02.2025

News

abortion law reform

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Orange Health Service

NSW upper house continues to debate key abortion bill changes

NSW upper house continues to debate key abortion bill changes
MPs are debating more than 30 amendments to the controversial bill to decriminalise abortion

Australian Associated Press
Wed 18 Sep 2019

The New South Wales upper house has passed an amendment to a bill decriminalising abortion that clarifies that doctors must provide appropriate care to babies born alive after a termination.

The Nationals MP Niall Blair, who introduced the amendment on Wednesday, said he wished he wasn’t moving it at all and it was disappointing that MPs had to codify what already existed.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/18/nsw-upper-house-continues-to-debate-key-abortion-bill-changes

18.09.2019