Gladys Berejiklian needs six upper house MPs to support abortion amendments
Gladys Berejiklian needs six upper house MPs to support core amendments to NSW’s controversial abortion bill next week if she is to hold on to majority government.
NSW
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Gladys Berejiklian needs six upper house MPs to support core amendments to NSW’s controversial abortion bill next week if she is to hold on to majority government.
MPs pushing the amendments — which would tighten the abortion legislation — on Wednesday night laid down the challenge to the Premier and Deputy Premier John Barilaro to deliver the numbers in the upper house on changes including banning sex-selection abortions and saving aborted babies born alive.
“This is a political problem which needs a political solution,” Liberal MP Matthew Mason-Cox told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday night.
Ten amendments were proposed on Wednesday by a cross-party group of MPs wanting to impose restrictions on the bill.
More are expected to be drafted before the bill hits the upper house next week.
These included a tougher test for abortions after 20 weeks, jail for health practitioners who flout the law, conscientious objection for doctors, counselling for pregnant women and prohibiting the trading of foetal tissue or organs following an abortion.
Senior political sources believe Liberal moderates in the upper house such as Natalie Ward, Shayne Mallard and Don Harwin are willing to consider sensible amendments.
Pressure will then be placed on Nationals MPs to deliver the extra three votes.
Tanya Davies and Kevin Conolly — the MPs who have threatened to go to the cross bench over the issue — both endorsed the amendments to The Daily Telegraph and it is understood they will be satisfied to stick with the government if four core amendments are supported. These are conscientious objection, banning sex selection, preserving the lives of babies born alive during failed terminations and ensuring abortions after 22 weeks are only to save the life of a mother or foetus.
Mr Mason-Cox, who was part of the cross-party coalition on the amendments, told The Daily Telegraph the pressure was on the Premier, the Deputy Premier and the Leader of the Opposition to deliver support to the changes.
“If they are serious about trying to work with the Parliament, they need to show their bona fides.”
Ms Davies said the scale of amendments proposed showed how “flawed” the bill was.
“I would be happy for more to be passed, however I remain committed as a minimum (to) the four I have already highlighted to the Premier and Deputy Premier,” she said.
She said the 10 amendments proposed “encapsulate the four we’re asking for plus more”. “It’s a matter of waiting and seeing what we get supported in the upper house and therefore what will come down to the lower house,” Ms Davies said.
The amendments:
● Ensure abortions at 20 weeks or more are only performed in circumstances required to save the life of the mother or another unborn child.
● Ensure doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion are not forced to facilitate the procedure by referring to a doctor who will perform the procedure
● If a child is born alive after an abortion attempt, ensure they are to be given the same care as any other child
● Prohibit abortions based on sex selection
● Ensure it is a crime to coerce or force a woman to have an abortion
● Ensure a woman considering abortion is offered counselling services
● Removing radical gender theory by changing references from “person” to “woman”
● Prohibit the trading of foetal tissue or organs following an abortion for research or experimentation
● Reporting on abortions should be collated like any other significant health event
● Ensure health practitioners who flout the requirements of the new abortion law are penalised.