Australia – NSW politicians will vote on abortion this week. Here’s what could be changing

By Nick Dole
May 12, 2025

A bill to expand abortion services in New South Wales will face a crucial vote in the lower house this week.

While the most controversial aspects of the bill were stripped out in the upper house last week, Labor and Coalition MPs will still be granted a conscience vote on what Premier Chris Minns says is a "vexed issue".

What's being proposed？ The bill, introduced by upper house Greens MP Amanda Cohn, aims to expand women's access to abortion by allowing nurse practitioners to supply medication to terminate pregnancies, up to nine weeks' gestation.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-13/nsw-politicians-to-vote-changes-abortion-bill-what-are-they/105282854

12.05.2025

midwives and abortion

nurse practitioners and abortion

Unearthed: the interview that reveals answer to abortion question David Crisafulli has dodged more than 132 times

Exclusive: Queensland LNP leader faced questions at leaders’ debate after saying in 2023 he would allow MPs a conscience vote on changes to legislation

Andrew Messenger
Tue 22 Oct 2024

Queensland’s opposition leader, David Crisafulli, told a live audience last year “I don’t believe in late-term abortions” and promised MPs a conscience vote on the issue.

The Liberal National party leader has been dogged by the issue for weeks, refusing to declare his hand on a bill which will be introduced by Katter’s Australian party next parliament, including whether he would vote for it or grant other MPs a conscience vote.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/22/queensland-election-2024-lnp-abortion-policy-david-crisafulli

22.10.2024

Is abortion really on the ballot again in Australia? State politics indicates it could be

By Q+A and RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas
Oct 20, 2024

Fierce debates about abortion have been raging in two Australian states during the past few weeks, leaving many scratching their heads wondering why it's suddenly part of Australian political discourse again.

In Australia, all states and territories have decriminalised abortion, but in the United States it's a different matter. Since 2022, 21 states have banned or restricted abortion to lower than the standard set by Roe v Wade, which protected reproductive rights for nearly half a century until it was spectacularly dumped by the Supreme Court.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-21/abortion-debate-in-queensland-and-south-australia-politics/104489634

Australia – Greens accuse Queensland Labor of ‘pure hypocrisy’ on abortion after Katter party election preferences

ALP how to vote cards in northern electorates put LNP last despite Robbie Katter’s vow to attempt wind back of termination laws

Ben Smee
Tue 15 Oct 2024

The Greens say Queensland Labor’s decision to direct preferences to Katter’s Australia Party candidates in north Queensland electorates is “absolute pure hypocrisy”, amid the ongoing debate over abortion laws.

Robbie Katter, the KAP leader, has vowed to introduce a private member’s bill to wind back abortion rights and access, that would notionally spark a conscience vote.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/15/queensland-state-election-abortion-policy-labor-lnp-robbie-katter

15.10.2024

Queensland abortion law

Australia – Abortion wasn’t on the Queensland election agenda. So why is it now a threat to the LNP campaign?

Two weeks ago, suggestions David Crisafulli’s opposition had a ‘secret plan’ to limit abortion rights were dismissed as just a scare campaign. Now, not so much

Ben Smee, Queensland state correspondent
Sat 12 Oct 2024

On front doorsteps in Brisbane’s middle suburbs, LNP candidates campaigning for the upcoming Queensland election have started getting questions about abortion. “It’s becoming an issue … in places we thought we might win,” says one party member.

Two weeks ago, as the Queensland election campaign began, Labor social media posts suggesting the LNP had a “secret plan” to limit abortion rights and access were dismissed as a scare campaign.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/13/queensland-election-2024-lnp-abortion-policy-david-crisafulli

12.10.2024

Queensland abortion law

Argentina church asks lawmakers to search their hearts ahead of abortion vote

Reuters
Dec 26, 2020

BUENOS AIRES — The Church of Argentina on Saturday called on the country´s lawmakers to vote their conscience this coming week, when the Senate will take up a bill to legalize abortion that has divided a nation with long-held Roman Catholic roots.

During a religious celebration in a small city west of Buenos Aires, Bishop Oscar Ojea, president of the local bishops’ conference and an outspoken opponent of abortion, suggested a “no” vote was supported by “medical science and law.”

Continued: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/argentina-church-asks-lawmakers-to-search-their-hearts-ahead-of-abortion-vote

26.12.2020

Jamaica – House committee recommends conscience vote on abortion

House committee recommends conscience vote on abortion

BY BALFORD HENRY, Senior staff reporter
Saturday, March 28, 2020

THE House of Representatives' Human Resources and Social Development Select Committee has recommended that Members of Parliament make a “conscience” vote to determine whether or not abortion should be legalised in Jamaica.

The recommendation was obviously the likeliest response from the 11-member committee, chaired by Opposition MP and Roman Catholic Deacon Ronald Thwaites, after listening to the divisive views of more than 70 local and overseas institutions, individuals and emotional experts for a little over two years.

Continued: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/house-committee-recommends-conscience-vote-on-abortion_190734?profile=1373

Australia – Young Liberals back Berejiklian’s handling of abortion bill

Young Liberals back Berejiklian's handling of abortion bill

By Alexandra Smith
September 23, 2019

The Young Liberals' have overwhelming backed Gladys Berejiklian's handling of the abortion bill, moving a motion in support of the Premier at their annual convention on the weekend.

After the Premier stared down a spill threat from three disgruntled conservative MPs last week, the youth wing moved a motion supporting her decision to allow a conscience vote on abortion.

Continued: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/young-liberals-back-berejiklian-s-handling-of-abortion-bill-20190922-p52tpf.html

23.09.2019

Premier Gladys Berejikilian

NSW abortion bill passes first hurdle in late-night sitting

NSW abortion bill passes first hurdle in late-night sitting
Bill to decriminalise abortion passes lower house of parliament by 59 votes to 31 after lengthy debate

Michael McGowan
Thu 8 Aug 2019

After three days of wrangling, a historic bill to decriminalise abortions in New South Wales has cleared its first hurdle after passing through the state’s lower house.

The Reproductive Healthcare Reform bill passed 59 votes to 31 just before 11pm on Thursday night, though not without amendments that altered the bill from its original form.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/08/nsw-abortion-bill-passes-first-hurdle

NSW abortion law: informed consent requirement confusing, says AMA

NSW abortion law: informed consent requirement confusing, says AMA
Bill made it through the first vote 56 to 33, but MPs are still debating more than a dozen amendments to legislation

Michael McGowan
Thu 8 Aug 2019

The introduction of a statutory requirement for doctors to gain “informed consent” before performing abortions in New South Wales will cause confusion and create an unnecessary “extra hurdle” to accessing a termination, the Australian Medical Association has warned.

The historic, cross-party bill to decriminalise abortion in NSW is being debated on the floor of the state’s parliament on Thursday, with wrangling over proposed amendments expected to go late into the night or even early Friday morning.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/08/nsw-abortion-law-plan-to-increase-restrictions-on-terminations-after-22-weeks-scrapped