Queensland has officially joined the rest of the country (NSW not included) in decriminalising abortion in parliament. While three senior Liberal National MP’s tried their best to put a halt to the bill, the bill was passed yesterday with 50 votes for and 41 votes against.
It took an entire two days to debate the matter, with dozens of MPs stepping up to speak. Once the dust finally settled and everyone had their say, the votes were taken.
The bill was passed with applause and cheers from the women present in the public gallery, ignoring the Speaker Curtis Pitt asking them to remain quiet. Over on the Labor side MP embraced each other in congratulations, having passed a big win for women all over QLD.
The new legislation now means that women in QLD will be able to abort for up to 22 weeks before seeking two doctors opinions on the termination and without fear of risking criminal prosecution. The legalisation also establishes ‘safe access zones’ around clinics, similar to the ruling in ACT, where abortion protesters cannot picket abortion clinics and target women entering the facilities.
Health professionals who conscientiously object to abortion will be now required to refer patients to other practitioners who may perform the termination.
You did it! You made history ? Thank you for signing the petitions & coming to the rallies. And thank you to our fabulous representatives @mcberkman & @larissawaters for advocating so wonderfully for women in Queensland. #Togetherforchoice #peoplepower https://t.co/gcHMctgMwX
— Queensland Greens (@QldGreens) October 17, 2018
So while this a big step forward in the right direction for women’s rights, Australia still has a way to go before abortion is truly legalised across the board. Most urgently that the aforementioned NSW state government has yet to legalise abortion in any form.
The different rules for abortion across Australia can get a bit confusing, but it’s import that you know your rights.
Queensland: It is now legal to abort up to 22 weeks without doctor’s approval, at which point patients can get permission from two practitioners with consideration of the woman’s health at that point in time.
New South Wales and Norfolk Island: NSW has the least amount of rights for women seeking abortions, with the act being criminalised except for a few exemptions where a doctor finds any reason on economic, social or medical grounds that the pregnancy should be terminated.
Australian Capital Territory: It is legal on request in the ACT, with safe zones surrounding the clinics from protestors.
Tasmania: Legal only after 16 weeks and two doctors must approve the termination. It is also illegal to protest within 150 metres of an abortion clinic or service.
Northern Territory: It is legal up until 14 weeks with two doctors approval, with exceptions being made up to 24 weeks if the woman’s life is in danger.
Western Australia: In Western Australia abortion is an option up to 20 weeks, after which point it becomes nearly impossible to undergo the procedure due to restrictions. In cases in which the woman is under the age of 16 a parent must be notified.
Victoria: In Victoria it is legal to abort up to 24 weeks of gestation with two doctors permission, with the 150 metre safe zones in effect.
South Australia: SA is not quite up to the mark, but is better than NSW in the sense that it is legal for maternal life, instances of rape, health concerns, foetal defects and the mental health of the woman. The next step would be enforcing legality on request.
In reference to the debate in QLD, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke about how the laws gave parliament a chance to change history.
“Because I believe, and i have always believed, a women should be able to talk to her doctor about her own health and her own body with it being a crime,” the premier said.
Nice to hear it from a government representative.
Now we just need NSW to catch up to the rest of Australia. Maybe the changes that happened in Queensland will open the way for more changes to be implemented down the road. Heres hoping.