AHEAD of a Queensland’s October 31 election, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party has unveiled a detailed “Right to Life” policy that would roll back the state’s abortion laws.
It means that the Liberal National Party, Katter’s Australian Party and One Nation have all committed to review or reform Labor’s Termination of Pregnancy Act (2018).
The Act allows abortion on request up to 22 weeks’ gestation, and allows abortion after 22 weeks with consent from two doctors.
It also requires doctors who were conscientious objectors to refer women to a medical practitioner who would perform an abortion.
One Nation’s stated aim is to restore legal and medical protection for both unborn babies and pregnant women, describing the current laws in Queensland as “ one of the most extreme in the western world”.
“These laws went far beyond Queenslander’s attitude to abortion and they must be amended,” former registered nurse and One Nation’s Southern Downs candidate Rosemary Moulden said.
“One Nation has the most comprehensive position at this election on protecting the rights of the mother and the unborn baby.”
The party would reduce the gestational limit for abortions, ban sex selective abortion, implement counselling and other safeguards, and reinstate a doctor’s right to conscientious object to abortion referral.
It would also insist on medical care for babies born alive during an abortion, mandate that babies are anaesthetised prior to an abortion and ban the use of aborted baby organs.
“If implemented the ONP policy would restore some much-needed legal protection and dignity to unborn babies, as well as providing practical supports and safeguards for women considering abortion,” Cherish Life Queensland’s executive director Teeshan Johnson said.
“It also has the potential to save thousands of lives, particularly if the gestational cut-off for abortions is in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks) when most abortions occur in Queensland.”
Ms Johnson said ONP’s pro-life position, in comparison to pro-abortion Labor, was also likely to help them pick up another two to three seats at the October 31 election.
“Western Brisbane and central and North Queensland are particularly sensitive to the issue of late-term abortion previous polling and election campaigns have shown,” she said.
While the major opposition LNP has no plans to revoke the existing abortion legislation, however if elected, a party spokesperson has confirmed it would review gestation limits, counselling arrangements and protections against abortion coercion.
In contrast, Cherish Life has highlighted a plan by the Queensland Greens to make public all of Queensland’s private hospitals, including Catholic and other Christian hospitals.
“That means these hospitals would be forced under the current law to provide abortions, even late-term ones for any reason,” Ms Johnson said.
“Queensland Greens seem proud of this extreme position and have a petition running called ‘Nationalise Queensland Public Hospitals’, making clear its intention ‘…to bring all private hospitals in Queensland into public hands’.
“Another key Green abortion aim is 100 per cent free abortions – meaning the humble taxpayer would be forced to fit the entire bill of abortions, even late-term healthy babies of healthy women.”
