Katter’s Australian Party female candidate Margie Ryder gives perspective on abortions

Katter’s Australian Party’s only female candidate has weighed into the debate over abortion laws as she sought to clear up confusion over the party’s plans.

KAP Townsville candidate Margie Ryder speaks on her perspective on abortions and the party's line. She believed women had the right to choose, but her concern was more on aborted live births which she believed was a human rights issue. Picture: Chris Burns

KAP’s only female candidate Margie Ryder believes a woman’s right to abort their baby is “none of my business” when asked if she opposed or supported abortions.

But she backed the party policy of being concerned about the dignity of aborted babies that were being born alive.

“Well I only know what I know and to me, my personal views a woman should be in charge of her body, it’s not about that,” she said.

The Termination of Pregnancy Live Births Amendment Bill amendment’s explanatory notes said even though the situation was rare, aborted Queensland babies could be born alive, and that there was ambiguity behind how they were treated.

Ms Ryder’s concerns and those of her party’s was there was risk of deliberate neglect and that they were being kept in trays until they were protected by law.

The Townsville KAP candidate said in the first two days handing out how-to-vote cards at prepolling booths she had been approached by three midwives who have said that throughout the years it had been known to happen in Townsville.

“What she (one of the midwives) said was there are places in Townsville when that baby is aborted and it is alive, they take great care of it,” Ms Ryder said.

“That is just wonderful, but there are places that babies are born alive and they are left in a tray, that’s what I’m not about.

“As long as they’re treated with dignity, and we’re talking about a human life, a baby.

“But I’m not going to answer your question if you keep asking me, am I for abortion, or against abortion?

“Because that’s what everyone wants to know and that’s what everyone’s trying to get out of me.

“My stance is a woman should have a say in her own body, and she gets to choose what happens.

“But what I’m against is that at 22 weeks right up to 37 weeks can be born alive and left in a pan.

“There’s two separate things we’re talking about, and what Robbie’s (Katter) proposing to put up or reintroduce is the Babies Born Alive Bill.”

Hinchinbrook MP and KAP Deputy Leader Nick Dametto.

KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto said the Babies Born Alive Bill nor amending the abortion law was intended to be a campaign issue, but he backed the party leader Robbie Katter, who created a firestorm last week when asked about it.

“Well I don’t think Robbie could have avoided answering questions when asked by the media,” Mr Dametto said.

“It’s easy to confuse the two because the Babies Born Alive Bill if it was to pass would have to make the amendments to the 2018 abortion act in Queensland to give these babies basic human rights to be comforted while they pass.

“It’s easy to say KAP have decided to amend the abortion act and yes, they would have to if our bill was to pass to give babies born alive during late term abortions … a right to basic human rights.”

Mundingburra’s incumbent Labor MP Les Walker said it was just “plain silly” for Mr Katter to speak on abortions so close to the election, and he said the “community has spoken” through the legislation.

“I’m not in a position as a male to tell a woman what to do with her body, there’s no argument, leave it alone,” he said.

But he criticised LNP candidates for not directly responding to the question on whether they supported abortions.