Liberal National Party senator Matt Canavan won’t be withdrawing from the Senate a bill that would require medical professionals to provide healthcare to foetuses described as “born alive” after an abortion has been performed. Source: SMH.
Senator Canavan says Australia’s abortion laws will not be an issue at the next federal election because neither the Liberal nor National Parties support changes to the law.
His refusal to withdraw the bill comes one day after Peter Dutton ordered Coalition MPs to abandon their push for a federal abortion debate, which will provide Labor with grounds to attack the Opposition on the hot-button issue.
Mr Dutton told a private meeting of the federal Coalition that the revived abortion debate had cost the Liberal National Party votes in the Queensland election. In a direct rebuke of the push led by senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to revive the abortion debate, Mr Dutton declared the federal opposition would not change its stance that abortion is an issue for the states.
In Australia, state and territory governments regulate abortion laws, but the Commonwealth regulates medication, such as the abortion drug RU-486, and has a role in funding terminations under Medicare.
The Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill tabled by Senator Canavan, Liberal senator Alex Antic and United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet in November 2022, would make it an offence for a medical practitioner to withhold medical care to a foetus born alive after a late-term abortion.
Following Mr Dutton’s comments, Senator Canavan told this masthead: “No, I won’t be withdrawing it”.
He said he supported the bill because all Australians deserve care.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said Mr Dutton should “immediately ensure senators Canavan and Antic withdraw their dangerous anti-abortion bill”.
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Canavan defies Dutton edict, won’t withdraw abortion bill (By James Massola, SMH)
