Baby Priya’s Bill: Conservative MPs slammed over ‘inflammatory, distressing’ abortion comments
Four conservative Coalition MPs have been slammed for “cynical politicking” after they claimed new laws would incentivise women to take time off for late-term abortions.
Four conservative Coalition MPs have been slammed for “cynical politicking” after they claimed new laws would incentivise women to take time off for late-term abortions.
Baby Priya’s Bill, currently before the parliament, would give parents who’ve experienced stillbirth or early infant death the same legal entitlements to paid parental leave.
Coalition MPs Barnaby Joyce, Andrew Hastie, Tony Pasin and Henry Pike said while they support the bill they were concerned about “unintended consequences”.
Mr Hastie said the government needs “to clarify that it does not apply to late-term abortions”.
Mr Pasin said the bill “shouldn’t be available to people who don’t wish to be parents”.
Health Minister Mark Butler labelled the comments as “very inflammatory and pretty distressing”.
“The definitions are very clear. A still birth is a loss of a foetus or a baby through a natural spontaneous event. A medical or surgical termination is something very different,” he said.
“To try to conflate the two things is, I think, a very cynical, deeply distressing political exercise. These men know the difference between stillbirth and abortion.
“I say to them, enough. Just stop it. This is about supporting families going through one of the most distressing events imaginable. ”
Liberal senator Jane Hume said there are “more important things to be talking about” but that a woman’s right to choose didn’t need to be turned into a “political football”.
“We want to make sure we treat those families that have experienced still births as respectfully as possible. It is an extraordinarily traumatic thing for any family to go through … It’s not a political issue,” she said.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was deeply disappointed that a “very small minority have tried to hijack this bill and pretend it’s about something that it’s not”.
“This bill doesn’t create any new entitlement to parental leave,” she said.
“What this bill is about is giving certainty to grieving parents at the most difficult time of their life. It is a critical piece of legislation that should receive the support of the parliament.”
The Coalition’s industrial relations spokesman Tim Wilson said on Tuesday the Coalition would support the bill, which he described as an “important step to ensure compassion and dignity are afforded to grieving parents”.
The bill is named in honour of baby Priya, who was born three months early and fought in the neonatal intensive care unit for 42 days.
Ten days later her mother, who cannot be named, had her pre-approved paid-parental leave cancelled.
Originally published as Baby Priya’s Bill: Conservative MPs slammed over ‘inflammatory, distressing’ abortion comments
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