Greens promise $100m a year so all public hospitals can provide abortions
The Greens are pledging $1bn over a decade so that all public hospitals can provide abortion services, in a policy move designed to pressure Labor to commit to universal reproductive healthcare.
The Greens have pledged $1bn over a decade so that all public hospitals – especially in rural and regional areas – can provide abortion services, in a policy move designed to pressure Labor ahead of the federal election to commit to universal reproductive healthcare.
After abortion became part of election campaigns in Queensland and the US, and Peter Dutton warned his MPs not to be distracted by the issue, the Greens declared it “must not be a culture war or a postcode lottery”.
The $100m annual cost would be used to “equip public hospitals with the personnel and facilities required to provide termination services”.
Greens sources said the money needed for the policy wouldn’t come from any one revenue measure but rather a mix of proposals, including its more than $500bn so-called Robin Hood tax.
“With the closure of many private abortion facilities in recent years, many women – particularly those in regional and remote areas – are left with little choice but to travel hundreds of kilometres and spend thousands of dollars,” Greens women’s spokeswoman Larissa Waters said.
“We’ve seen conservatives in Queensland, South Australia and the USA open the culture war again and it’s critical Labor takes this opportunity to make sure every person in the country can access the reproductive healthcare they need.
“The Greens will fund the provision of abortion services and care at no cost through the public health system, and receipt of this new funding will require public hospitals to provide a full suite of reproductive health services, including surgical abortions.”
The cost of an abortion ranges between $500 and $8000 – taking into account client costs, GP visits, blood tests, ultrasound scans, prescription medications and after-care – with Family Planning NSW estimating two-thirds of women undergoing terminations need financial assistance.
Family Planning Alliance Australia chair Caroline Mulcahy said decriminalising abortion was the responsibility of the states and territories and now it was time for all governments to work together to make abortion accessible.
“Australians in regional and remote areas should not have to travel hundreds of kilometres for healthcare that could be provided where they live,” she said.
“Any barriers to accessing abortion will impact rural and regional Australians, who should have the same quality healthcare as people living in the city.”
It has been 18 months since a Greens-led parliamentary committee handed down the Ending the Postcode Lottery: Addressing barriers to sexual, maternity and reproductive healthcare in Australia report, to which the government has so far failed to respond.
Senior Labor MPs have sought to wedge the Coalition on the issue, urging Mr Dutton to make clear if he rejects any efforts to criminalise abortion and acknowledges the commonwealth has no role in passing abortion laws.
With the federal election due by May, the Opposition Leader told his MPs earlier this month abortion may have had an impact on Brisbane city seats at the Queensland poll.
He stressed it was not something that could be addressed in federal parliament despite it being an issue in the state campaign.
Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham, the party’s most senior moderate, said Mr Dutton had no plan and no intention to change abortion laws and respected states’ rights. He said abortion would only be on the national agenda “if people choose to politicise it”.
The Australian revealed in April that Anthony Albanese was facing internal pressure to provide more taxpayer support for abortion services.
Before forming government in 2022, Labor promised to make public hospitals offer terminations as part of their Commonwealth funding arrangement.
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