Party MPs pressure Labor to keep promises on abortion

Anthony Albanese is facing internal pressure to provide more taxpayer support for abortion services.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: AFP

Anthony Albanese is facing internal pressure to provide more taxpayer support for abortion services, with a senior party figure saying action on the issue was the “next step” in Labor following through on its pre-election commitment to deliver for women.

As leaders of state Labor governments declared they were ready to work with the commonwealth to expand access to terminations and related women’s health services, sitting Queensland MP Brittany Lauga said the federal government had vacated the space and left states to “do all the heavy lifting”.

The call for strong federal government action on women’s health comes 12 months after it was handed a parliamentary committee report containing 36 recommendations on expanding reproductive care, with teal independents and Greens slamming Labor ministers for so far ignoring the non-partisan committee.

Labor members said the delay in responding to the report – aimed at providing more equitable access to reproductive care – set high expectations of government, which needed to be ambitious enough to keep women voters onside.

West Australian Labor senator Louise Pratt said along with public hospitals being equipped to provide terminations, Medicare arrangements for reproductive care needed to be expanded.

“I would hope that the delay in responding to the committee’s report indicates that they are working on policy initiatives to address the issues raised about access through Medicare to reproductive and sexual health ser­vices. These are really important issues we should be adopting around better access,” Senator Pratt, a member of the committee, told The Australian.

Macarthur Labor MP and doctor, Mike Freelander, said there were “definitely concerns about equitable access for women in that reproductive healthcare space”.

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.

Senior member of Victorian Labor’s Left faction Julijana Todorovic said Labor needed to make equitable reproductive care a priority and May’s budget was “the perfect opportunity” to do so.

“We’ve seen from the last federal election that Labor is the party of women voters. The ­Coalition has let women down and the Labor Party has taken up the mantle of women’s health … this is the next step in making promises a reality,” she said.

Labor’s policy of forcing public hospitals to provide terminations by tying such services to their commonwealth funding was dropped after a review into Labor’s 2019 election failure that recommended the party reconnect with faith communities.

“I don’t want them to walk away from that commitment that they made in 2019. I think it’s still important now and in 2024 probably more important than ever,” Ms Lauga said.

“It does feel like state governments are doing all of the heavy lifting in this space to help improve access to services.”

Brittany Lauga MP, Qld parliament Question Time, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

The internal calls set up a test for the government in its next women’s budget in May, with Fair Agenda chair Renee Carr calling it “a key indicator” of the Albanese government’s commitment to women’s health.

“We’re particularly watching whether there will be action on the recommendation to review the Medicare support for medical abortion care,” she said.

Health Minister Mark Butler said he was “committed to ensuring all Australian women have equitable access to the healthcare they need” and that the Department of Health and Aged Care was still consulting over appropriate government responses to the report.

Victoria last year improved access to surgical terminations while WA enacted laws effectively decriminalising abortion, with such changes fuelling calls for the commonwealth to show leadership on the issue in the budget.

“This will be the first budget following the national decriminalisation of patient access to abortion in history since Federation, so it’s the perfect budget to include this,” Australian Women’s Health Alliance chair Bonney Corbin said.

“We’d like to see in the women’s budget a section on sexual reproductive health, which explains how the 36 recommendations will be funded.

“Abortion shouldn’t become an election issue, so this budget would be the time to avoid that from happening.”

The ACT – which is looking to provide no-cost abortions across the Territory – said all jurisdictions should ensure access to affordable abortions. Victoria indicated it would “support any moves that will make it easier for women to make the reproductive choices” and Queensland said it was looking forward to working with the commonwealth “to see access expanded”.

Greens women’s spokeswoman Larissa Waters said there was non-partisan support for all recommendations in the report.