Queensland, Australia Premier David Crisafulli has banned all discussion of abortion in the parliament for the next four years.
Using his Liberal National Party (LNP) majority to pass a motion prohibiting discussion of the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018, Crisafulli successfully acted to block any abortion amendments, motions, or view expressions. MPs were allegedly unaware of Crisafulli’s motion, which he said was aimed at countering an alleged “scare campaign” on abortion during the recent election.
The Termination of Pregnancy Act allows abortion through 22 weeks for any reason and after 22 weeks if the abortionist has consulted a second doctor and both agree that an abortion is necessary. Induced abortion — the direct and intentional killing of a preborn child — is not medically necessary.
The issue of abortion is said to have taken a key role in the election, which Crisafulli called “disgraceful.”
“I said from day one, it was not part of our plan,” he said. “I said there will be no changes [to the Termination of Pregnancy Act]. And despite that – Labor knew this – and despite that, the social media tsunami, the grubby phone calls continued unabated. They spent millions of dollars on a disgraceful scare campaign.”
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Likewise, opposition leader, Steven Miles, called Crisafulli’s motion “grubby.”
“Mr. Speaker, these are extraordinary scenes…with no notice, no discussion, no advice to the media that it was even coming, such a grubby, grubby treatment [of a serious issue],” he said.
Some MPs confirmed that they are pro-life, with MP Robbie Katter having previously vowed to reintroduce the party’s “babies born alive” bill. Others pointed out that Crisafulli’s motion will prevent parliament from expanding abortion.
“If there is further developments by the TGA to further strengthen scope of practice for health professionals, to make it easier for women, this house could not debate that issue,” Labor MP Shannon Fentiman said. “If women need more protection from attending abortion clinics, those reforms would not be possible.”
In addition, Crisafulli did not allow a “conscience vote,” which allows MPs to vote free of their political party’s influence. All 50 LNP MPs voted in favor of the motion with 35 Labor MPs and three Katter’s Australia party MPs voting against.
MP Nick Dametto commented, “I think Queenslanders today should be mourning the death of democracy here in the Queensland parliament.”
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