Major divide on reproductive rights

Women’s reproductive rights have crept into national politics, exposing a divide within the Coalition.

Opposition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has called for abortion to be up for national discussion after a vote to wind back access narrowly failed in South Australia.

It has also emerged as an issue in the Queensland state election, thanks to Katter’s Australian Party.

On Wednesday, senior Coalition frontbenchers were quizzed on the issue, after Nationals senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told Nine newspapers Tuesday she believed late term abortions were “anywhere past the (first) trimester as far as I’m concerned”.

Coalition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said there were no plans federally to “unwind women’s reproductive rights in Australia.”

“A Dutton-led Coalition government has no plans, no policy and no interest in unwinding women’s reproductive rights,” Senator Hume told Sky News.

“It has been an issue raised by fringe parties in a state election.

“It is not an issue for federal politics and there is no plan to change or unwind women’s reproductive rights in Australia.”

But it is not just an issue for fringe parties in Queensland after Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli, repeatedly dodged queries on his abortion views and if he would green light a conscience vote on the KAP’s Bill.

During the final leaders’ debate of the campaign before Saturday’s state election, Mr Crusafulli emphatically replied yes when asked if he supported a woman’s right to choose.

“The good news is I’m not in Queensland,” Senator Hume said.

“It’s not an issue that’s being raised with me.”

Similarly, Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the Coalition had “no intention to change the settings from a federal health perspective”.

But Coalition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie took a far more ambiguous line, saying abortion was a “moral dilemma” and refusing to clarify if she thought it should be on the national agenda.

Senator McKenzie said her colleague Senator Nampijinpa Price had “very strong views on this issue.”

“It is an issue for state and territory governments. That is where it sits within our legal framework,” she told the ABC.

“I do think it is a moral dilemma that we, in this country, we seek to save the lives of babies born very prematurely in some cases and not in others.

“That is a complex moral dilemma. But I’m not in the business of judging people’s decisions.”

Senator McKenzie has previously voted for a private member’s bill that would have federally interfered with abortions.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said later on Tuesday he did not “think it’s a debate that is shifting votes one way or the other.”