Fair Agenda Blog
To all members of NSW Parliament,
As organisations and services working for the wellbeing of residents in New South Wales, we express our strong concern about the harm that current abortion laws are causing.
We believe that a woman has the right to feel safe and in control of her life, that she knows what is best for her health, her body, and her family, and that she should have the freedom to decide whether and when she has children.
NSW’s current abortion laws are archaic, cruel, and degrading, and deny a woman the right to make decisions about her healthcare. We are very concerned that they increase the distress, delay and financial burden faced by a woman who needs abortion care and that they disproportionately harm women living in rural and remote areas, who already have limited access to healthcare.
A woman who needs to end her pregnancy shouldn’t have to travel hundreds of kilometres from home, or cross state borders, to access this healthcare. And a qualified health practitioner should be free to provide the best care possible, without fear of criminal charges.
50 Queensland parliamentarians, from all sides of politics, voted to modernise the state’s abortion laws in line with Law Reform Commission recommendations. NSW now has the most archaic abortion laws in the nation - laws created in 1900 that treat pregnant people like second class citizens when it comes to accessing abortion care. The attitudes of 1900 should not deny a woman the healthcare she needs in 2018.
It’s time that NSW’s abortion laws are made fit for today’s world, and that abortion is finally recognised as a health matter – as it is in Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, Northern Territory and now Queensland.
We call on you to support decriminalising abortion in NSW, and to vote for new health laws that promote the autonomy, dignity and wellbeing of people who need to end a pregnancy by providing for safe, legal and compassionate access to abortion care.
We applaud the recent leadership of the NSW MPs who championed, and supported, the introduction of safe access zones at reproductive healthcare clinics in NSW. Their dedication to patient dignity and privacy is the kind of representation NSW deserves, and expects.
We now call on all members of NSW Parliament to commit to reforming NSW’s abortion laws to improve access to this basic healthcare, and recognise the right of people who are pregnant to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.
Sincerely,
Amnesty International Australia
Australian College of Nursing
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
Australian Medical Students Association
Australian Women’s Health Network
Australian Women Lawyers
Community Legal Centres NSW
Domestic Violence NSW
Fair Agenda
Family Planning NSW
Human Rights Law Centre
Kingsford Legal Centre
Marie Stopes Australia
National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
National Foundation for Australian Women
NSW Council for Civil Liberties
Our Bodies Our Choices
Penrith Women’s Health Centre
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Public Health Association of Australia
Public Interest Advocacy Centre Ltd
Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia
Rationalist Association of NSW Inc
Rationalist Society of Australia
Reproductive Choice Australia
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Private Clinic
Women’s Abortion Action Campaign
Women’s Electoral Lobby
Women’s Health NSW
Women Lawyers Association NSW
Women’s Legal Service NSW
YWCA Australia
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Join the campaign for safe and legal access to abortion care at http://fairagenda.org/decriminalise_abortion
They limit access to healthcare
In South Australia, abortion care must be provided in a ‘prescribed hospital’, which doesn’t account for medical abortions. The impact of this restriction is most acutely experienced by women living in regional areas who often face delays and financial barriers to abortion care access.
Medical abortions are available up until nine weeks pregnancy. For many people who can’t, or don’t want to undergo a surgical procedure, a medical abortion is a non-invasive alternative. Unfortunately, a medical abortion must still be performed in a ‘prescribed hospital’. People in regional areas are sometimes forced to travel hundreds of kilometres just to take a tablet. In some instances, it could mean they experience the commencement of the abortion as they’re on their way home.
They disproportionately harm women in rural areas
Current laws state that a person must be a South Australian resident for to months prior to accessing abortion care. This makes access impossible for people living in neighbouring regions, such as Broken Hill, Mildura, Alice Springs, and even Darwin, who rely on providers in Adelaide since abortion care isn’t available in their areas.
They undermine a woman’s right to self-determination and bodily autonomy
Abortion is the only healthcare procedure in South Australia that requires examination and certification by two doctors. In order for a person to access abortion care, two doctors must agree that they meet a set of criteria, which was developed nearly 50 years ago.
The current laws deny a woman’s right to self-determination and bodily autonomy. The decision to terminate a pregnancy should be made by the person who is pregnant.
They include arbitrary restrictions on when a person can terminate a pregnancy
Ninety per cent of women in South Australia who have an abortion, do so within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Yet there are rare and complex circumstances, such as domestic violence or a foetal anomaly, which could mean a woman needs to terminate her pregnancy at a later stage.
South Australia’s laws currently impose a limit on the stage of pregnancy at which an abortion can be performed. The limit is set at 24 weeks pregnancy, which is completely arbitrary and out of step with medical evidence.
This information is based on series of fact sheets developed by the team at SAAAC. You can view the original source here and follow them on Facebook here.
This election domestic violence experts have called on all parties to commit to the full funding and implementation of the Royal Commission into Family Violence’s 227 recommendations. They say it's the best blueprint we have of what’s required to keep women and children safe; to address this complex, deeply embedded and prolific violence; and that it will save lives.
So far, 90 of the Royal Commission’s recommendations are complete or underway, but 137 will need to be implemented by whichever party forms government after this Saturday. That’s 137 recommendations we can’t leave up to chance.
So, have the major parties committed to fully implement all the Royal Commission's recommendations?
Labor
Yes. Labor has committed to implementing all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.[1]
Click here to see more information from Labor on their family violence policies.
Coalition (Liberal and National Party)
The Coalition has *not* committed to implement all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.[2]
When asked about the party’s position on the Royal Commission’s recommendations, Liberal Party spokesperson Georgie Crozier said there might be a “financial imposte”, and she would look for “efficiencies that could be realised”, and that she would “work through the detail” if elected.[3]
The Coalition has instead announced they will: introduce mandatory minimum jail sentences to family violence offenders; introduce laws to allow attending police to issue an immediate intervention order in cases of family violence, introduce a new standalone non-fatal strangulation offence in family violence cases; and pilot a Family Violence Disclosure Scheme.[4]
Domestic violence experts have implored the Coalition to reconsider their stance, and commit to implementing all the Royal Commission recommendations, and raised concerns about some of the other announcements, with Domestic Violence Victoria stating that “there is no evidence mandatory sentences or increased police powers before they’re properly prepared will make a difference to keeping women and children safe from family violence”.[5]
Click here to see more information from the Coalition on their family violence policies.
Greens
Yes. The Greens support implementing all 227 of the Royal Commission into Family Violence's recommendations.[6] Read more about Greens policies on family violence.
Click here to see more information from The Greens on their family violence policies.
This election domestic violence experts have emphasised the vital importance of all parties committing to the Royal Commission’s recommendations, stating: “The Royal Commission into Family Violence laid out a long term plan for us. They spent months understanding all the complexities involved and we need to stick to the plan. We can’t keep going with this “new government, new approach” response."[7]
It’s said that 1 in 10 people decide who they're voting for on election day. So it's critical as many people as possible know where the parties stand on the issues that matter to them.
Can you help make sure your friends and family have this information before they head to the ballot box? Forward this email to everyone you know who cares about tackling family violence.
While significant progress has been made in the two years since the Royal Commission made its recommendations - experts say will take 10 more years to realise. If you care about improving women’s safety and freedom from family violence, we urge you to consider this issue when deciding how to cast your vote this Saturday.
-References and further information-
- ‘Responding to the Family violence crisis’, Victorian branch Australian Labor Party platform 2018, p 83.
- Victorian election: what the parties are promising, The Guardian, 19 November 2018.
- ‘We’ve only just started’: How the parties stack up on family violence, The Age, 4 November 2018.
- Liberal Victoria media releases: prevention of family violence
- Concern about Opposition’s policy for mandatory sentencing for family violence offenders, Domestic Violence Victoria media release, 17 October 2018.
- ‘Ending family violence', The Greens.
- Concern about Opposition’s policy for mandatory sentencing for family violence offenders, Domestic Violence Victoria media release, 17 October 2018.
Last week we stood in the gallery of Queensland Parliament, watching as 50 MPs cast the votes that made history, and decriminalised abortion in Queensland.
That majority vote was the culmination of more than 2.5 years of campaigning by the Fair Agenda community and our partners, building on decades of work by pro-choice activists in Queensland. And it was only possible because thousands of Fair Agenda members relentlessly took dedicated action over the course of years.
This is one of the biggest campaign victories in Fair Agenda’s history. And, if we want to also win desperately needed change in NSW (where abortion also remains a criminal offence), we’re going to have to do all this, and more, again.
Here’s how Fair Agenda members helped make this historic change possible:
Back in May 2016, when independent Queensland MP Rob Pyne introduced new health laws to decriminalise abortion, thousands of Fair Agenda members came together to show huge public support for change. Together we drove local actions in MP’s electorates: meeting with key undecided MPs...
Flooding MPs with constituent emails, and delivering testimonies to MPs in their electorate offices...
And, in the lead up to the expected vote Fair Agenda and partners amplified the voices of medical experts in online and newspaper adverts.
Together we made headlines, and made sure every single MP received polling showing that an overwhelming majority of Queenslanders support decriminalisation.
Then, in February 2017, when it was revealed that the proposed legislation wouldn’t have enough votes to pass the parliament, and abortion reform was instead referred to the Law Reform Commission - we got ready to make abortion access an issue at the looming election.
To make that happen - we knew voters would need to know their candidates' views on abortion reform. So, Fair Agenda launched a pro-choice candidate pledge – and asked all major party candidates to declare that if elected, they would back compassionate abortion reform.
And, within days of the election being called, we secured pro-choice pledges from almost 100 candidates -- putting this issue in the election headlines by day 6 of the election campaign!
Fair Agenda members then chipped in to fund strategic polling - to prove to candidates that it was in their interests to be upfront about where they stand on abortion. That polling put this issue in the headlines yet again - showing candidates across the country what was at stake if they refused to be upfront about their position!
Throughout our election campaign, Fair Agenda secured commitments from 154 candidates that they would support strong and evidence-based pro-choice reforms if elected. Then we launched a powerful online tool that allowed Queensland voters to quickly and easily find out their local candidates' stance on decriminalising abortion.
Fair Agenda volunteers then took to the streets of Brisbane in the blood red cloaks and white bonnets of the Handmaid’s Tale, to let voters know where they could find out their candidates' stances on this issue.
Together we put abortion decriminalisation on the state election agenda – and helped ensure eight pro-choice candidates won key marginal seats, and that four anti-choice candidates lost theirs!
Then, when the Law Reform Commission started considering its recommendations on new abortion laws, the Fair Agenda community got ready to do everything possible to convince undecided MPs to vote in support of new laws.
Together we mobilised, campaigned and lobbied like never before. On the day proposed laws were announced, we turned out for a snap rally, and stood alongside service providers and legal experts to show media and MPs that these laws had our support.
We worked with our pro-choice partners to amplify the voices of affected people, and of medical experts who could speak to the harm the laws were having on Queenslanders.
We had one objective: to demonstrate widespread public support for safe, legal and compassionate abortion care and persuade MPs to vote accordingly.
We commissioned hard-hitting polling across the state, and in the seats of key undecided MPs, and demonstrated broad scale community and expert support in an open letter that we then placed as a full page advert in the local paper distributed to key undecided MPs.
And then, just days before the vote, Fair Agenda teamed up with Young Queenslanders for the Right to Choose to organise the biggest pro-choice rally Brisbane has ever seen (and in torrential rain, no less) - joining more than a thousand Queenslanders to march to Speakers Corner and send parliamentarians a message they couldn't ignore.
In the end, after years of work by Fair Agenda and parters, the laws passed 50-41 with three LNP MPs, Tim Nicholls, Steve Minnikin and Jann Stuckey, breaking party ranks to support the bill.
When the final vote was read aloud, the gallery erupted in cheers (and tears).
It was an incredible win - and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of thousands of Fair Agenda members who volunteered, donated, made calls and emails, and showed up to marches. It's a testament to the growing power and potential of our community.
But we know the fight for reproductive autonomy isn't over. In fact, the Fair Agenda community will need to do this, and more, all over again if we're going to help win safe and legal access to abortion care in NSW.
With your help, we can help share the momentum and lessons our community learnt during our joint campaigning in Queensland, in NSW - and work with partners in NSW to make the call for change so loud politicians can’t ignore it.
We know that the momentum is already building - just this morning NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley announced that he backs decriminalisation, and if elected, will task the Law Reform Commission with putting forward a model for the NSW parliament to consider. This wouldn’t be possible without the long, hard work being done by local NSW groups; combined with the momentum Fair Agenda and partners built for safe, legal and compassionate access to abortion care over recent years and weeks in Queensland.
As you may have seen, last month the Queensland Government announced new legislation to reform the state’s abortion laws.
The proposed laws are really promising, and are almost exactly what Fair Agenda and other groups have been advocating for.
These are really positive laws; so Fair Agenda members have been hard at work doing everything we can to ensure they're passed by the parliament.
Third, the team have collected powerful personal stories from Queenslanders who have been impacted by the current laws - which we're currently releasing in a series of powerful online videos, you can see one of them here.
So we've been supporting community members and expert organisations to make submissions, and ensure pro-choice voices are heard in this process. If you're interested, you can see the how-to guide we developed here.
#2. We're also shoring up votes to ensure enough MPs support these changes when they're brought to a vote. Sources have told us the vote will be close, so we’re prioritising 11 target MPs to get the legislation over the line.
#3. We are also contacting each and every state MP to ask them how they plan to vote on the legislation — and we'll use the results to help focus member attention, and drive media coverage around the issue.
And, of course, we'll be working to respond to anything the anti-choice groups throw at us.