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Abortion reform to be passed ‘without further delay’, HRLC says
The Human Rights Law Centre is calling for the NSW parliament to finally pass the bill to decriminalise abortion in light of the majority of Australians supporting the reform.
Naomi Neilson
Source: hrlc.org.au/staff/edwina-macdonald
The Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 is back before the Legislative Council and will be voted on in coming days. It comes after anti-abortion Liberal MPs launched a spill against premier Gladys Berejiklian over her handling of the bill.
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Sydney legal director at Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) Edwina MacDonald said the bill needs to be passed before the government without further delay: “This is not a complex issue.
This is about better health outcomes for women. This is respecting the right of every single one of us to control our bodies and lives.”
“Now is the time for members of the NSW parliament to get on the right side of history and vote in support of women’s health and equality,” Ms MacDonald added.
Most senior Liberals have backed Ms Berejiklian publicly but several religious leaders, right-wing MPs and conservative commenters are attempting to derail the vote over the concerns the bill will allow gender selection or abortion “on demand” up until birth.
The overwhelming majority of people living in NSW support abortion reform, according to a poll commissioned by NSW Pro-Choice Alliance. The poll, published earlier in the month, showed more than 77 per cent support the abortion reform.
Many other advocacy groups, politicians and legal bodies have voiced support for the proposed law changes. The Australian Lawyers Association urged NSW parliament to pass the bill following advice from health, medical and law organisations.
“This bill has been a long time coming. It presents a strong model that is endorsed by the leading medical and legal experts,” Ms MacDonald said.
“The amendments that have been proposed in the Legislative Council to date clearly are designed to frustrate women’s reproductive freedom.”
NSW is one of three states that still uses the criminal laws to regulate abortion, along with South Australia and Western Australia. However, it is the only jurisdiction in the country to have never reformed its abortion laws.
Last month, the Berejiklian government postponed the vote. At the time, it was labelled as an “insult” and showed a “lack of respect” for women. Many organisations are still debating the delays and are calling for the bill to be rushed through this week.
“It is unacceptable that, in 2019, women still fear prosecution when accessing abortion and are still treated like they are incapable of making decisions about their bodies and their lives,” Ms MacDonald said. “The values of 1900 should not dictate any person’s right to access the healthcare they need in 2019.”
