David Crisafulli avoids abortion, VAD questions as Robbie Katter, One Nation circle

Robbie Katter and One Nation may rip an infant LNP government apart at the seams, with the minor conservative parties ready to cause chaos over abortion and voluntary assisted dying. VOTE IN OUR POLL

David Crisafulli and Robbie Katter.

Conservative crossbench MPs will propose changes to the state’s abortion laws in the next term of parliament, in a direct challenge to David Crisafulli’s authority over the LNP.

The Opposition Leader, campaigning in Cairns, doubled down on his promise there would be “no change” to the ability of women to access abortions in Queensland should the LNP take government.

But he cannot control what laws crossbenchers put forward nor how his MPs vote unless he chooses to break with convention and deny his party room a conscience vote on matters of life or death.

Mr Crisafulli refused to say if he would deny MPs a conscience vote or how he could guarantee there would be no changes to termination of pregnancy laws despite being asked no less than 15 questions on abortion or his stance on the LNP’s voting convention on matters of life or death.

“My team have been upfront about what is part of our plan, and our plan is to deal with youth crime, health, housing, cost of living. They are the things we will be addressing in the next four years. I’m not going to join that conversation that’s going on because I’ve ruled it out,” he said.

It can be revealed the Katter’s Australian Party and One Nation have vowed to introduce laws to repeal or amend abortion laws, with the KAP going as far as to call out LNP MPs to throw their support behind changes to termination of pregnancy laws before the election.

“They can be assured that there will be a repeal bill to vote on in the next parliament put forward by the KAP,” KAP leader Robbie Katter said.

“We’d be seeking their support before the election to give voters a say on this issue.”

Robbie Katter is ready to ruffle feathers in the LNP if they form government. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Confirmation the KAP and One Nation will push for changes will add to growing pressure on Mr Crisafulli to outline how he plans to live up to his promise not to change abortion laws.

LNP MPs including Tony Perrett (Gympie) and Jon Krause (Scenic Rim) have in recent weeks voiced anti-abortion views in candidate forums.

Mr Krause, in a live-streamed candidate forum on September 15 hosted by Harvest Point Church, said he saw “some issues with the current law”.

“(I) would certainly be part of bringing like-minded members to try and deal with those issues,” he said.

“It’s a conscience vote for all of our members when it comes to matters of life or death, and we need to ensure that there are enough people in the parliament to be able to repeal those laws or make significant amendments.”

All but two of the LNP’s current 35-member party room voted against decriminalising abortion in 2018.

A number of LNP candidates, including those in seats expected to fall from the hands of Labor, have also previously expressed strong views against abortion or Queensland’s existing laws.

Those candidates include Springwood’s Susanna Damianopoulos, who has written about protesting outside parliament with the word “Life” written on tape over her mouth, Amanda Stoker in Oodgeroo, Redcliffe’s Kerri-Anne Dooley and Rockhampton’s Donna Kirkland.

Ms Kirkland in 2019 shared a Facebook post which described abortion as the “greatest human rights abuse of our time”.

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The LNP’s candidate in Stretton, former MP Freya Ostapovich, once conflated abortions with an increase in breast cancer.

One Nation’s Keppel candidate James Ashby, who pollsters believe is on track to unseat Labor’s Brittany Lauga, said he would also seek to amend abortion legislation and work with the crossbench to do so.

Mr Ashby said Mr Crisafulli was “losing votes by the day” he avoided the issue.

“He’s not even open to the argument on this, he’s just shutting it down,” he said.

Mr Ashby has taken issue with the law providing for abortions to occur after 22 weeks gestation — which he has previously likened to “cutting up a Sunday roast chicken”. But he said he did not believe abortion should be criminalised.

Premier Steven Miles argued abortion remained a live issue within the LNP.

“David Crisafulli said that no members of his team were talking about abortion and now we learn that many members of his team are, in fact, talking about abortion,” he said.

“They’re not talking to you about abortion. They’re talking to church community forums.”

Mr Crisafulli, speaking in Cairns, refused to be drawn on abortion and the issue of a conscience vote and repeatedly blamed Labor for promoting a “scare campaign”.

“You know my position. Neither of those (abortion or voluntary assisted dying) are part of our plan, and the only reason you’re talking about it is because the government is running a scare campaign that, in my mind, has crossed the line,” he said.

Originally published as David Crisafulli avoids abortion, VAD questions as Robbie Katter, One Nation circle