‘Hard to escape’: Sylvia Jeffreys weighs in on divisive abortion debate

Sylvia Jeffreys has grilled National Party leader David Littleproud about the “personal and highly emotive” debate around abortion rights in Queensland.

The abortion debate is back on the table, and the Today Show’s Sylvia Jeffreys argued it was as if “American politics (is) creeping into Australia”.

On Thursday morning, the Today host spoke to National Party leader David Littleproud MP about the “personal and highly emotive” issue that is “very hard to escape”, which has been brought back into the spotlight in Queensland in the lead-up to the state’s election on Saturday.

Sylvia Jeffreys has weighed in on the abortion debate on the Today Show. Picture: Channel 9

“It is an issue that truly affects people’s lives and intergenerationally in some cases, as well,’ Jeffreys said.

The debate came back into the public spotlight after member for Katter’s Australia Party, Robbie Katter MP, announced if the Liberal National Party (LNP) won the election in a minority government, he would immediately introduce a private members bill to wind back abortion rights.

In response, LNP leader David Crisafulli insisted that changing the law surrounding abortion rights was “not part of our plan”.

However, a spanner was thrown into the works when federal Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price opposed abortions after the first trimester and labelled late-term abortions as “infanticide”.

National Party leader David Littleproud was grilled by Sylvia Jeffreys on the Today show after it was revealed his Coalition colleague Jacinta Nampijinpa Price did not agree with later term abortions. Picture: Channel 9

Speaking to National Party leader David Littleproud on Thursday morning, the Today host grilled the politician about Senator Nampijinpa Price’s views and its reflection on the LNP. While Littleproud said he hadn’t spoken to his colleague about the issue, he said he “(respects) her right to have an opinion”.

“That’s the beautiful thing, that we live in a democracy, and we should never shut anyone down for having a belief,” he said.

In response, Jeffreys argued the reignited conversation was akin to the debate in the United States.

Abortion rights has been one of the most divisive topics in US politics during the 2024 election campaign, after the 2022 landmark decision to overrule Roe v Wade, therefore ending the national right to an abortion and allowing states to determine their own laws.

Since the 2022 decision, nearly half of US states have introduced bills to partially or completely ban abortions.

“It feels to a lot of people like American politics (is) creeping into Australia,” Jeffreys said. “We don’t want to devolve into the United States.”

The debate over abortion rights is back on the table. Picture: Channel 9

Another guest on the Today Show, 2GB radio host Chris O’Keefe, called out Littleproud for his “hypocritical” stance on the debate. “He encourages debate but doesn’t want to act on it,” O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe argued the MP’s stance on debates would be different regarding senator Lidia Thorpe’s outburst to King Charles III on Monday.

“I’m sure he’d be outraged, wouldn’t he?” O’Keefe asked. “When it doesn’t suit your politics, you’re happy to have a crack. But you’ve got a senator from your party stirring up an extremely emotional issue that no one in the country is asking to be stirred up.”

The 2GB host said since senator Nampijinpa Price “can’t do anything about (abortion rights) in Canberra”, she is opting for “cheap politics” and Littleproud was “too spineless to call her out”.

In response, Littleproud denied the allegation senator Nampijinpa Price was stirring up the issue, and said she was not speaking on behalf of the National Party or Liberal Party’s beliefs. “She was asked in a forum about her personal beliefs, and she didn’t initiate this with any malicious intent,” he said.

When asked for his own “deeply personal” beliefs on abortion rights, Littleproud said he “(respects) the right of women” but wants to “encourage people to go full term, as there are many loving families out there who can’t have children”.

Originally published as ‘Hard to escape’: Sylvia Jeffreys weighs in on divisive abortion debate