Women’s Minister Criticises Opposition for Sidestepping Abortion Debate

Gallagher also pushed the opposition leader to rein in a proposed bill to protect babies that survive failed abortions.

A pro-life activist holds a model fetus during a demonstration in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 29, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher has weighed in on the federal opposition’s position on abortion.

According to reports, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton ruled out making abortion a focal issue in the upcoming federal election, advising Liberal-National Coalition members to steer clear of the topic to avoid alienating inner-city voters.

Gallagher accused Dutton of sidelining the issue for political gain, stating, “It is typical of Peter Dutton to view this purely as a matter of winning or losing votes, rather than any genuine commitment to women’s healthcare.”

Dutton Warns Coalition to Steer Clear on Abortion

In a Coalition meeting on Nov. 5, Dutton stressed that abortion debates had cost the party some support in the recent Queensland state election, calling the topic a potential distraction as next year’s election approaches.

He urged MPs to focus on federal issues rather than matters typically handled at the state level.

Dutton’s stance on abortion is seen as a strategic move to prevent Labor from using it against the Coalition. Abortion proved a highly sensitive issue for certain voting demographics.

Nationals Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price had recently aired her opposition to late-term abortions, describing the procedure as “infanticide.”

Gallagher Presses Dutton on ‘Dangerous’ Bill

Meanwhile, Labor’s Gallagher further urged Dutton to compel Coalition Senators Matthew Canavan and Alex Antic to withdraw their private members’ Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022.

The bill “clarifies that children born alive are persons, requires health practitioners to provide medical care, treatment, and statistics on children born alive as a result of terminations; and provides that the mother of a child born alive is not liable to prosecution for an offence in respect of that child.”

Gallagher labelled the bill “dangerous” and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

“If Peter Dutton wants credibility on women’s healthcare, he must ensure Senators Canavan and Antic withdraw their anti-abortion bill from the Senate,” she asserted.

High Abortion Rates in Australia

Australia’s abortion rate reflects a global trend, with approximately 42 million abortions occurring worldwide each year.

Estimates indicate around 80,000 terminations occur annually in Australia.

Pro-abortion group Children by Choice reports that about one in four pregnancies in Australia ends in abortion, though accurate data remains challenging to collect.

Medicare billing codes for abortion overlap with those used for miscarriages and other gynaecological treatments, complicating precise tracking.

A 2005 estimate placed the national abortion rate at 83,210, equating to thousands of unborn Australian children each year.

That year, about 259,800 live births were recorded.