Abortion was only very recently decriminalised in all states and territories. The changed happened in 2023. But since that time, certain far-right groups and individuals have been making calculated moves to restrict or ban access to reproductive healthcare in Australia.
A few nights ago, a video came up on my TikTok feed. It claimed that the right to abortion healthcare in Australia was in danger.
I was tempted to brush it off. Surely the right to reproductive healthcare was not at risk in 2026? But knowing that this is how many Americans felt right up to the very second that their right to reproductive healthcare (Roe v Wade) was overturned, I kept watching.
The South Australian Government is looking at a bill to ban some abortions
The current situation starts in South Australia, looking at a bill proposed by Sarah Games, a former One Nation member and now independent MP. The bill looks to ban late-term abortions after 25 weeks. I had read about this a few weeks prior.
The TikTok explains that the current makeup of the South Australian legislative council could vote in favour of limiting reproductive healthcare in line with Games' bill. 11 seats just went up for re-election, and these new members join the 11 already in office. In the current new makeup, 11 members are against reproductive healthcare and 11 are in support. However, one of the members in favour is the president of the council, a position that abstains you from voting. This means there are only 10 members in support of reproductive healthcare who can actually vote against the other 11 who are against it. So there is a very real possibility this restriction of reproductive health care may pass through the legislative council and move to the next stage of Government for review.
@bellegetspolitical Who will vote for Sarah’s bill in the new LegCo? #abortionaccess #bodilyautonomy ♬ original sound - Belle
The situation in South Australia is just part of the story. There have been moves in both Queensland and New South Wales that could also threaten the right to reproductive healthcare.
Some MPs in Queensland are trying to restrict access to the abortion pill
In Queensland, Katter's Australian Party has expressed a desire to restrict abortion medication. In 2024 prior to the election, the KAP said that it was going to introduce measures to repeal abortion laws. Essentially, the party wants stricter rules on who can prescribe drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, also known as the abortion pill or MS-2 Step. Currently, these medications can be prescribed by any approved healthcare provider for pregnancies up to nine weeks. But the KAP wants to put further limitations on the current list of approved healthcare providers that can offer the medication.
After winning the state election, Queensland State Premier David Crisafulli put a ban in place that prevented MPs from changing or debating any motion in relation to the the Termination of Pregnancy Act (TPA) during the LNP's first term. MP Robbie Katter of the KAP has attempted to get around this ban.
He argued the stance on abortion medication relates Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Amendment Regulation 2026 (rather than to the TPA) in an effort to have the party's anti-abortion arguments heard. The KAP has also previously tried to repeal the ban on debating abortion access.
Barnaby Joyce is pressuring MPs to recriminalise some abortions
In New South Wales, Barnaby Joyce recently spoke at an anti-abortion rally organised by Joanna Howe, a vocal supporter of the anti-reproductive healthcare agenda. The rally was designed to pressure some MPs to recriminalise some abortions in an upcoming parliamentary vote regarding a private member's bill. It was debated on 3 June, we are yet to hear the outcome.
Joyce famously left the Liberal/Nationals Party to join far-right fringe party One Nation. One Nation is open and proud of its anti-abortion stance. The party's website openly states: "One Nation will seek every opportunity to roll back brutal and extreme abortion law".
The particular bill being debated looks to ban abortion on the basis of sex selection, a practice that experts say is rare or non-existent in Australia. However, should this bill pass, it would open the door for further restrictions on reproductive healthcare.
Joyce later took to social media to defend his stance saying "girls are not as good as boys", implying that people have a preference for male births over female.
Experts reiterate that any restriction on reproductive rights can lead to harm
The recent attacks on reproductive rights have been met with criticism from experts and medical organisations. Deputy Chair of RACGP SA, Dr Clare Keogh has stressed in a statement that decisions about pregnancy must remain between a person and their healthcare providers. “Abortion care is healthcare. These are deeply personal decisions that should be made by individuals in consultation with their GP and trusted health professionals,” she said.
“We are concerned about ongoing attempts to revisit and restrict reproductive healthcare through legislative change. This risks undermining evidence-based care and patient autonomy.”
As medical evidence and data shows us time and time again, any restriction on reproductive healthcare only serves to harm women and pregnant people. Late-term abortions are a lifesaving measure applied when the mother's life is at risk, when the foetus is no longer viable or in the case of serious foetal abnormalities that threaten its viability. Most reasonable people understand that this is a decisions that needs to be made by the pregnant person in collaboration with their doctor.
At 25 weeks, many women have already picked out names. They've decorated nurseries. They've got prams saved to a Google doc. They're just a few weeks from their baby shower. An abortion is a difficult decision at any stage, but being faced with a situation where a late-term abortion is medically necessary – when you're nearly ready to meet your future baby – is a kind of grief that many never recover from. It's unimaginable that anyone could wish to make this process more difficult and heartbreaking than it already is.
The case for restricting abortion on the basis of sex selection is even murkier. Experts explain that there is limited evidence to support that this is a practice that exists, but either way cannot be dismissed as frivolous. An article on The Conversation by Lecturer in Global Ethics from the University of Birmingham explains: "Take first the thought that sex-selective abortion cannot be motivated by serious reasons. In fact, women who seek such abortions can have purposes that are just as weighty as those of women seeking non-selective terminations." Regardless, this restriction has been labelled by the WHO as one that only serves to harm women and other people with uteruses, putting their lives in jeopardy.
Enshrining any law or amend that restricts the full right of women and pregnant people from receiving reproductive medical care is not and can never be pro-life.
