One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has stated he will push for his party to adopt a blanket ban on abortion, a position that contradicts the stance of party leader Pauline Hanson. Roberts made the comments at the Church and State summit in Brisbane, a Christian conference.
Roberts's Position on Abortion
During the summit, an audience member questioned why One Nation was not aiming to eliminate abortion entirely. Roberts responded, "That's becoming my goal. That's something I'll be putting to the party. We need to reconsider some things, but it will be a conscience vote."
This statement contrasts with Hanson's remarks at the National Press Club on Wednesday, where she indicated that abortion should only be restricted after 20 weeks. Hanson previously stated she is not against abortion in the first trimester, up to 12 weeks, and emphasized education on contraceptives.
One Nation's Current Policy
One Nation's existing policy is to "seek every opportunity to roll back brutal and extreme abortion law." The party recently recruited Barnaby Joyce, who spoke at a rally against sex-selective abortion. One Nation did not respond to requests for policy clarification.
Anti-Abortion Alliance
The Church and State summit highlighted an alliance formed about two years ago among anti-abortion groups aiming to change laws and replace politicians who oppose their views. Dave Pellowe, founder of Church and State, described himself as a "writer and speaker on Christian engagement in the public square." He told the crowd that women who commit "child sacrifice" are condemned by God and guilty of murder, and that "feminism has had a demonic influence."
Roberts was in the front row during Pellowe's speech. Pellowe stated, "My job here this morning is not to condemn women who have killed their children, for God already does that. Every murderer knows they're guilty of murder."
Legislative Efforts
The anti-abortion movement has grown more vocal since abortion was decriminalized in Australia and the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States. There have been multiple legislative attempts to move abortion from healthcare to criminal codes.
- A recent Queensland bill to prevent nurses and midwives from prescribing abortion medication was defeated.
- A sex-selective abortion bill is before the NSW parliament.
- A South Australian bill to restrict abortion from 25 weeks was defeated in the lower house despite passing the upper house with support from three One Nation MLCs.
The South Australian bill was introduced by former One Nation MP Sarah Game, who left the party to form the Fair Go party and later joined Family First. The SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, and other MPs voted for the bill.
Medical Community Response
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists stated that Game's bill "would eliminate access to abortion in a range of serious and complex circumstances. It also disregards the quality of a woman's life, including situations where continuation of pregnancy poses significant risks."
Coalition of Anti-Abortion Groups
At the summit, Matthew Cliff of Cherish Life said the group had been working with the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), FamilyVoice, the Australian Family Association, Answers in Genesis, and activist Joanna Howe. "We keep on working, we're always strategising," he said. ACL's Rob Norman described Cherish Life as "the tip of the spear" of the coalition.
A press release on the SA bill was issued jointly by Australia Life (Joanna Howe's company), BirdFlip, Tradies for Babies, ACL, Love Australia, Pro-life Health Professionals Australia, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Family First, and FamilyVoice.
The International Women's Development Agency said the bills are "not based in evidence" and "form part of a broader strategy to chip away at reproductive rights and bodily autonomy by introducing incremental barriers to abortion care over time."
