Pro-Life Victoria, Australian Christian Lobby anti-abortion campaigns hit the NT election trail

An anti-abortion push that medical experts and pro-choice advocates said would expose babies to ‘inhumane’ suffering and unnecessary distress to women has become an election battleground.

An anti-abortion push that medical experts and pro-choice advocates said would expose babies to ‘inhumane’ suffering and unnecessary distress to women has become an election battleground in the Territory. Picture: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

An anti-abortion push that medical experts and pro-choice advocates said would expose babies to ‘inhumane’ suffering and unnecessary distress to women has become an election battleground in the Territory.

In a scare campaign, Pro-Life Victoria has circulated election flyers and advertisements claiming that under Labor “even more babies would die”, while the Australian Christian Lobby has reported the Country Liberal Party voiced its support for a controversial ‘babies born alive’ bill.

The Pro-Life Victoria letterbox flyers have claimed changes to the 2021 Termination of Pregnancy Law Reform Legislation meant “a late-term health baby of a healthy woman can be aborted”.

It also claimed babies born alive during an abortion were “denied medical care and left to die”.

However, the 2021 abortion reforms simply brought term-limits for Territory women in line with most Australian states, with the parliament told the ‘rare’ late-term abortions would likely only impact five or six women a year.

Anti-abortion advocates Pro-Life Victoria have circulated NT election flyers and advertisements claiming that under Labor ‘even more babies would die’.

The 2021 changes allowed one doctor — rather than two — to approve an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, and allowed terminations after 24 weeks if there was a complication to the foetus or would endanger the life of the mother.

It also allowed access to late-term abortions specifically for women exposed to rape, incest, the abuse of minors or sexual slavery.

These changes passed unanimously without calling for a division of the house — critically at the time Lia Finocchiaro, Gerard Maley, Bill Yan, Steve Edgington and Josh Burgoyne told the NT News they would have supported the bill through a conscience vote.

ACL NT director Nicholas Lay claimed the CLP agreed to support a federal private members bill by Senator Matt Canavan, commonly called the ‘Babies born Alive’ Bill, which pushes for life-saving care to be provided to infants with signs of life following an abortion.

Currently if an infant is born following a failed abortion with signs of life — which could be just a limb movement, a pulse in the umbilical cord — it is provided medical care.

However as they are not expected to survive outside the uterus, this is typically palliative care to reduce their suffering and distress.

However the 2021 abortion reforms simply brought term-limits for Territory women in line with most Australian states, with the parliament told that the ‘rare’ late-term abortions would likely to only impact five or six women a year. Picture: SANDY HUFFAKER / AFP

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro said claims her party was in bed with anti-abortion groups was “baseless”.

“There has been no commitment and no suggestion the CLP are going to be changing any laws,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

When pressed if she was looking at changing medical guidelines, Ms Finocchiaro said: “If a child is born alive during a failed abortion, then the guidelines should make sure that the child is given medical care”.

Family Planning Welfare Association Northern Territory chief executive Robyn Wardle said she was “shocked” and “alarmed” by the anti-abortion election campaigns.

Family Planning Welfare Association Northern Territory chief executive Robyn Wardle.

“Family Planning NT is shocked both groups (ACL and Pro-life Victoria) make outrageous comments to the people of the NT,” Ms Wardle said.

“Should this be true, Family Planning NT would prefer to see the CLP maintain the current Abortion legislation and we all work together in offering more support and awareness to stop the barriers of access.

“It is a safe procedure; women are supported and well managed by professional medical teams who have specialist training.”

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Eva Lawler also called the anti-abortion campaigns “abhorrent” condemning the “dog whistling” over women’s reproductive health.

Mr Lay maintained the ACL did not endorse any particular party or candidate, instead it compared policies so voters could be informed.