PRESS RELEASE: Ban On Parliament Discussing Abortion An ‘Anti-Democratic Attack On Free Speech’
16/12/2024 – UPDATE
The action last week by Premier David Crisafulli to move a motion without notice preventing any changes to the Termination of Pregnancy Act for the next four years has come as a profound shock to prolifers throughout Queensland. Subsequently, we are awaiting the outcome of any constitutional challenges to the motion and any resultant action.
Below is the press release we sent out on the day the motion was moved and passed. Ominously, this was the first sitting date of the new parliament.
11/12/2024 – PRESS RELEASE
It is extremely distressing that the Queensland Parliament today passed a motion from Premier David Crisafulli which bans discussion of abortion in Parliament for the next four years.
This ban on parliamentary debate is an appalling over-reach against democratic principles and a significant attack on free speech, gagging our elected representatives from discussing a crucial life or death issue.
What should have been banned instead is the inhumane and abhorrent practice of late-term abortion, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, which 76% of Queenslanders oppose and only 6% support, as well as sex-selective abortion, the culling of unborn baby girls, which 83% of Queenslanders oppose and only 8% support.
The Premier’s election commitment of “no changes to the abortion law” was totally unnecessary, as there would have been no political risk to the LNP in winding back the more extreme aspects of Labor’s 2018 law, and introducing protections for women, such as free mandatory independent counselling (88% support) and informed consent requirements (85% support).
What the Premier should have done during the election campaign was to remind voters that Labor had legalised abortion up to birth for any reason, and to commit to pro-life, pro-woman reforms to wind back the law in line with public opinion.
See 2018 Cherish Life YouGov opinion poll: What Queenslanders Really Think About Abortion
50 LNP Members voted in favour of the motion except Pat Weir who is Speaker of the House and unable to vote.