Abortion is healthcare and a legal right across Australia, but recently, politicians in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales have introduced motions and bills that could impact access to abortion care.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s happening and what you can do to help stop it.
Queensland Abortion Access: Robbie Katter’s Disallowance Motion
In Queensland, early access to abortion care is at risk due to a proposed disallowance motion put forward by Robbie Katter MP to be debated in Parliament on June 2 2026.
The motion seeks to remove the ability for approved healthcare providers (nurses and midwives) to prescribe or supply the medication MS-2 Step within their scope of practice.
If successful, it would reduce the number of healthcare professionals able to provide early medical abortion care in Queensland, making access harder, especially for people in rural and regional communities.
South Australia Abortion Laws: Sarah Game’s Bill
In South Australia, upper house MP Sarah Game has reintroduced a bill that would further restrict access to abortion, which could be debated and voted on as early as June 2 2026.
The bill proposes removing mental health grounds for accessing abortion after 24 weeks and 6 days, except where the pregnant person’s life is at risk.
Abortions after 23 weeks’ gestation are very rare and often involve complex medical circumstances. Currently, these decisions are made between the pregnant person and at least two doctors. They should remain guided by clinical judgement and individual circumstances.
NSW Abortion Laws: John Ruddick’s Bill
In New South Wales, Libertarian MP John Ruddick has introduced a bill that would restrict abortion care by banning abortions performed for the purpose of sex selection.
The bill is expected to be debated on June 3 2026 and would introduce criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment for healthcare providers.
Criminal penalties for healthcare providers would create barriers to abortion care by discouraging providers from offering services and increasing stigma.
Why Protecting Abortion Access Matters
Restrictions on abortion care do not stop people from needing abortions. Instead, they create:
- Longer wait times
- More travel
- Higher costs
- More barriers for people already struggling to access healthcare
Everyone deserves access to timely, evidence-based reproductive healthcare, no matter their postcode.
Take Action to Protect Abortion Access
Fair Agenda has created tools that make it easy to contact MPs and speak out against attempts to restrict abortion access.
- QLD: Email your Queensland MP and urge them to vote against the disallowance motion.
- SA: Email your local South Australia representative and urge them to reject the bill.
- NSW: Email your New South Wales MP and urge them to oppose the proposed bill.
