A controversial bill which seeks to expand access to abortions in New South Wales has passed the state’s Legislative Assembly, but only in a form that’s a shadow of the original draft, and only after an extraordinary attack on the pro-life advocate who led the campaign against the proposed laws.
The bill will allow nurses and midwives to prescribe drugs to terminate pregnancies up to nine weeks in gestation.
They’re already permitted to prescribe the abortion pill in the ACT, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
The NSW bill was amended to specify that endorsed nurse practitioners and midwives must have the needed skills and training to administer the drugs, known as MS-2 Step.
It comfortably passed the Lower House by 65 votes to 20.
WHAT WAS “GUTTED” FROM THE ORIGINAL DRAFT
The big margin was to due the original draft being “gutted” in the Upper House.
Pro-life hospitals will not be forced to perform abortions and pro-life heath practitioners will not have to be complicit in them.
The Health Minister will not have the power to require all hospitals to provide abortions.
A section of the bill that would have made a conscientious objector provide a formal referral for a patient seeking an abortion to another medical practitioner who would carry out a termination, has been dropped.
A proposal to remove mandatory abortion data reporting was also dropped and replaced by an amendment which pro-lifers claim will strengthen data reporting.
The bill needs to return to the Upper House for final approval.
That could be as early as next week.
NSW POLITICAL LEADERS MAKE EXTRAORDINARY ATTACK ON PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGNER
Wednesday’s debate was characterised by the leaders of both majority parties launching an extraordinary attack on Christian pro-life campaigner Dr Joanna Howe who organised protests against the bill — attracting thousands of opponents to rallies outside State Parliament.
One of them drew a crowd of more than 10,000 including high profile figures such as former prime minister Tony Abbott and Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher.
Both Labor Premier Chris Minns and Liberal Opposition leader Mark Speakman appeared rattled by the scale and vociferousness of the protests.
They both complained about what they called “the Americanisation of the debate” around abortion access.
WHAT PREMIER MINNS COMPLAINED ABOUT
Mr. Minns stated “enormous amounts of misinformation and lies have been spread” on social media.
He said that had “whipped up a lot of good people in the community believing that the reform changes, the legislative changes, are far more extensive than they are.”
He didn’t provide any details to back up his claim.
Dr Howe insisted that as a political activist, she had every right to speak up and vehemently denied spreading any misinformation.
“It is not okay for the Premier to character assassinate an ordinary citizen who has had the temerity to criticise him and run a public campaign against him,” she asserted.
WHY LIBERAL LEADER MARK SPEAKMAN SUPPORTED THE BILL
Mr Speakman supported the bill, calling it “a shadow of its former self” whch he opposed.
“It can no longer be characterised as a ‘radical Greens bill’,” he said.
“I think that, on balance, the bill will make no material difference to the rate of abortion in NSW.”
“It will not interfere with freedom of conscience and will probably lead to better, not worse, health outcomes for many pregnant women seeking abortions,” he concluded.
WHY MR SPEAKMAN ACCUSED PRO-LIFE ADVOCATE DR JOANNA HOWE OF “BULLYING”
Mr. Speakman alleged in parliament that Dr. Howe, an Adelaide law professor, had threatened to derail his leadership if he supported the bill.
He said she told him she would “lead a public campaign aimed at encouraging a grassroots opposition to you as Liberal leader.”
“I will not cave to brazen bullying like this, nor to the Americanisation of NSW politics,” he declared.
Dr. Howe responded: “Am I a bully or is Mark Speakman just a precious snowflake who can’t handle the democratic process?”
“Just to be clear Mark Speakman: it’s not bullying to do everything within our power as the people to topple this spineless coward, which make no mistake, we will do.” the pro-life campaigner posted.
