Party positions

Fair Agenda contacted all party headquarters on Monday 14th October, with the following questions: 

1) What is the party position on this legislation? 

2) Would you bind members of your party to vote in line with the party's position, or would you provide a personal conscience vote?

Below is a summary of party responses; or public statements on abortion laws. 

Response received from the ALP Miles Government

Dear Renee,

I can confirm that a re-elected Miles Labor Government will continue to uphold our commitment that access to quality and safe abortion care is a basic human right. We will protect the reproductive rights of Queenslanders. Abortion is healthcare and I was proud to be the Health Minister who put forward this legislation.

It’s been Queensland Labor’s long-held practice to have a conscience vote on termination of pregnancy, but Queenslanders know what our conscience says. Every single one of our Labor MPs and candidates support a women’s right to choose. They have been proudly declaring their position. It is also in the Labor Party Platform that we support access to free, public healthcare including abortion care.

We know that more than 90% of LNP MPs voted for abortion to remain a crime in 2018 and there is no evidence these views have changed. There is no clearer demonstration of this than the recent vote in the Queensland Parliament to allow nurse practitioners and midwives to prescribe termination of pregnancy medication such as MS 2-Step.

Every Labor MP voted for this reform.

Every LNP MP voted against it.

On 15 September 2024, senior LNP MP, Jon Krause told a candidates’ forum in response to a question on Queensland’s abortion laws that “we need to ensure that there are enough people in the parliament to be able to repeal those laws or to make significant amendments”.

While a Queensland Senator, the LNP candidate for Oodgeroo, Amanda Stoker described Queensland’s abortion decriminalisation laws as “barbarism [with] the cloak of civility”. 

I am proud to lead a government that listened to women and advocates who called for reform over decades. A government that followed through and delivered.

The Miles Labor Government is absolutely committed to maintaining and expanding access to safe legal abortion in Queensland. We will not support any attempt to repeal or weaken termination of pregnancy laws in Queensland.

My Government and I have always stood up for the right to choose and the right to access safe and legal abortion services in Queensland. And we always will.

Thank you

Steven

No response received from Liberal National Party (LNP) 

Fair Agenda is yet to receive a response from LNP HQ.

Despite dozens of questions from media, LNP leader David Crisafulli won’t say whether or not he would allow LNP party members a conscience vote on any proposals to amend or repeal Queensland’s abortion law. Other members of the LNP have said it would be “extraordinary” not to (source).

In 2018, the LNP provided its MPs a conscience vote on the introduction of Termination of Pregnancy Bill.

During that vote 36 LNP MPs voted against decriminalising abortion; 3 LNP members voted in support.  

No response from Katter Australia Party

Fair Agenda are yet to receive a response to our correspondence from Katter Australia Party headquarters. 

Media are reporting that KAP’s Queensland leader Robbie Katter plans to repeal or amend Queensland’s abortion law. 

The Guardian reports:

“Katter says he will table legislation to wind back current laws with one option a “clean repeal” of Labor’s 2018 Termination of Pregnancy Act, a move that would return abortion to the 1899 criminal code.” (source)

The ABC reports:

“Katter's Australian Party (KAP) leader Robbie Katter says his party will
put an abortion repeal bill back into Queensland parliament "quick as
you like" after the election.” (source)

The office of KAP MP Shane Knuth indicated to Fair Agenda that “Katter’s Australian Party has always taken a conservative view on abortion as a party built on strong Christian values and personal beliefs.” Adding: “KAP previously voted against Labor’s abortion laws”.

Response received from The Greens 

In a response to Fair Agenda’s correspondence the Greens responded to our questions:

1. The Queensland Greens will protect the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 and work to expand access to abortion in Queensland so that it is truly universal, accessible and free.
2. Queensland Greens candidates are bound by the party's position on all matters, including abortion, so there are no conscience votes available to Queensland Greens MPs.
   
   

No response from One Nation Queensland party headquarters 

Fair Agenda has yet to receive a response to our email from One Nation Queensland HQ about the party’s position in Queensland, and whether they would bind party members or provide a conscience vote.

But One Nation’s national website has a page called “pro-life” which includes a range of policy statements that are counter to maintaining laws for safe, legal and compassionate access abortion care.

Specifically, the One Nation website indicates the party:

• “Will seek every opportunity to roll back brutal and extreme abortion law…”
• “Reduce the gestational limit for abortions” [the current approach is recommended by experts and has the support of medical and legal experts
• Wants to require a woman to undergo counseling before accessing abortion care. 
• Enable doctors personal religious beliefs to override a woman’s access to information and access to abortion care. 

Response from Family First Queensland

Family First Queensland have indicated that all members of their party oppose the current Termination of Pregnancy Bill; they would not protect the current laws for safe, legal and compassionate access to abortion care in Queensland.

No response from Legalise Cannabis party

Fair Agenda has yet to receive a response from the Legalise Cannabis Queensland Party Headquarters.

No response from Libertarian party

Fair Agenda has yet to receive a response from the LDP headquarters.

Authorised by Renee Carr, Fair Agenda, 36-38 Gipps Street, Collingwood VIC.