Queensland election: Liberal National Party candidate Freya Ostapovitch breaks ranks on abortion

One of David Crisafulli’s self-declared pro-life candidates admits she wants abortion laws changed but ‘can’t say anything’ before the state election.

Lydia Lynch and Sarah Elks

3 min read

2 hours ago

LNP candidate for Stretton, Freya Ostapovitch, in 2014. Picture: Renae Droop

One of David Crisafulli’s self-described pro-life candidates declared at a polling booth this week that she wants abortion laws changed but “I can’t say anything” until after the Liberal National Party wins the state election.

One-term Newman government LNP MP Freya Ostapovitch, who is again contesting the Labor-held Brisbane seat of Stretton, has been caught-out telling people at an early voting booth that she wants legislation overhauled.

“You vote for me, you trust me. I can’t say anything yet because we have got to get elected before we do anything,” she said in a conversation about abortion out the front of a pre-polling booth this week, recorded by a Labor branch member and heard by The Australian.

“I am on the record, I am pro-life. This babies born alive stuff, it just breaks my heart.”

Ms Ostapovitch then repeated a controversial, and disputed, claim she made in parliament in 2014 that abortion increased the risk of breast cancer.

Her candid comments are in direct challenge to Mr Crisafulli’s repeated insistence that there would be “no changes” to termination of pregnancy laws if the LNP wins the October 26 state election.

“Because I know my team, and we’ve taken a plan and a position, and there will be no change to that Act,” the LNP leader insisted again on Thursday.

Asked whether he had spoken to each of his candidates and MPs and received assurances about their position, Mr Crisafulli said he knew “my team and there will be no change”.

“No change, no change,” he said. “We have a plan. It’s not part of it. There won’t be change. And I know my team, and I know the decision we’re taking, and that counts for something.

“Leadership is about knowing your team and that position.”

Ms Ostapovitch, who served in state parliament from 2012 to 2015, immediately backed down from her position when contacted by The Australian on Thursday.

“As a member of the LNP team I have committed to no changes to these laws and I will stand by that position if elected,” she said.

She did not respond to questions from The Australian about whether she had been instructed by anyone at LNP HQ, or by Mr Crisafulli’s staff, not to publicly share her pro-life views.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli insisted on Thursday there would be no vote in parliament on abortion again. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Crisafulli, who public polls predict will deliver a comfortable majority for the LNP, has come under increasing pressure over his party’s stance on abortion.

Ms Ostapovitch’s comments will add fuel to Labor’s campaign attack, accusing Mr Crisafulli and members of his team of having “secret plans” to roll back abortion reforms, with a fresh advertising blitz in the works.

Mr Crisafulli has pledged to continue funding the Miles government’s $42m termination-of-pregnancy action plan if elected, but there are wide-held views in his party room that Labor’s 2018 reforms “went too far”.

Only three LNP MPs voted in favour of the state’s Termination of Pregnancy Act, which removed abortion from the criminal code and allowed the procedure on request up to 22 weeks’ gestation.

The issue was thrust into the centre of the election campaign last week when video emerged of long-serving backbencher Jon Krause telling a candidate forum on September 15 that he saw “serious issues” with the 2018 laws.

Crossbencher Robbie Katter then revealed his plans to introduce legislation to overhaul abortion laws after the state election.

Mr Crisafulli has refused to answer more than 50 questions about how he could fulfil his promise of “no changes” to abortion laws if crossbenchers introduced legislation that some LNP MPs supported.

Speaking about abortion at an event in Gympie this month, LNP frontbencher Tony Perrett said: “I oppose it. You just have to look at my record in the parliament and the speeches I have made. Very, very clear, I believe life is created at conception.”

In a trainwreck press conference last week, Mr Crisafulli’s pro-life Rockhampton candidate Donna Kirkland – who in 2019 described abortion as “the greatest human rights abuse of our time” – refused to be drawn on whether she still held that belief.

LNP candidate for Springwood, Susanna Damianopoulos, has lobbied against abortion since at least 2008, but has said she “respects” Mr Crisafulli’s pledge not to overhaul laws for at least four years.