Premier Will Hodgman to take a wait-and-see approach to abortion services

Premier Will Hodgman has neither endorsed nor rejected a push from his Speaker for additional abortion options for Tasmanian women.

Premier Will Hodgman would not be drawn on whether the Government would be willing to fund further abortion services. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

PREMIER Will Hodgman has neither endorsed nor rejected a push from his Speaker for additional abortion options for Tasmanian women.

Hampton Park Women’s Health Care on Monday started taking referrals for its recently announced fortnightly southern clinic.

However Speaker Sue Hickey has flagged her intention to lobby Liberal colleagues to fund surgical abortions for women unable to pay the $475 asked by the state’s new low-cost provider.

Ms Hickey will also argue that medical termination drugs should be offered from all public hospitals and that the Government widely advertise that option.

HICKEY TO LOBBY FOR GREATER ABORTION ACCESS

HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS BRIEFED ON ABORTION CLINIC

Speaker Sue Hickey during Question Time. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Mr Hodgman on Friday said the Government had clear advice from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services that the new private service was the right model for the state.

He would not be drawn on whether the Government would be willing to fund further services or consider abortions being offered in the state’s public hospitals.

“We will see how the new service operates, we want it to be as available and accessible to Tasmanian women as it can be … we will review this policy as we do all others,” he said.

Mr Hodgman said his relationship with Ms Hickey remained “perfectly positive” following a tumultuous week in which she voted against the Government on gender law reform.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White, who backed Ms Hickey’s intention to lobby on abortion services, said the Liberals were bitterly divided.

“Important issues like access to safe and legal termination services should never have been allowed to get to this point but it has because of Will Hodgman’s weakness in failing to stand up to the influence of the radical Right,” Ms White said.