Senator Matt Canavan of the Liberal National Party wants to outlaw late-term abortions in Australia following the US’s rollback of those rights.
After 20 weeks, elective abortions are legal in every Australian jurisdiction except the ACT, Tasmania, and Western Australia.
Senator Canavan, a devout Catholic with four sons and a daughter, thinks that abortions performed after this point are “barbaric” and should be outlawed, save in exceptional cases.
He believes that after 20 weeks, even though the science is debatable, fetuses can feel discomfort and even attempt to escape the surgical instruments within the womb.
He said on Tuesday morning that “the science has progressed significantly,” adding that “we now have these 3D ultra sounds and much more information about what happens to a baby.”
The scientific community has agreed for the past 20 weeks that newborns may experience pain.
It is clear from late-term abortions that newborns try to steer clear of the tools used in the surgery.
“I believe that has altered many viewpoints,”
Only six other countries—Canada, China, the Netherlands, North Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam—permit elective abortions after 20 weeks, according to Senator Canavan, who said that this places Australia “alone” in the world.
His list appears to be based on a Charlotte Lozier Institute analysis from 2014, which the Washington Post verified as accurate in 2017.
Senator Canavan, who represents Queensland, also cited information that was given to the Queensland Parliament in 2016 by Cameron Dick, who was the state’s health minister at the time, revealing that 200 kids had been delivered alive in the state after abortions since 2005.
He remarked of late-term abortions, “They are not the more common form of abortion but they do happen.”
“Our rules should unquestionably represent what we believe to be right or wrong, not what we believe to be more prevalent.”
He said that our current rules do not support late-term abortions and that doing so is wrong “save in the rarest and unusual instances.”
“I don’t think there was enough discussion when those laws were modified about the topic of late-term abortions.”
He described late-term abortions as inhumane and declared that they would be illegal in a tweet.
Peter Dutton, the leader of the opposition, said he supports abortion but thinks 22 weeks “is too late” in a discussion about the NSW abortion law in 2019.
It’s ultimately the mother’s decision, but 22 weeks is too late, he said.
In other words, if you Google a picture of a 22-week-old fetus… Although that is the most divisive issue in the NSW discussion, I wouldn’t vote in favor of it because of that. I believe that it is an extremely tough situation for women in any of those circumstances.
The law in NSW that allows abortions up to 22 weeks and with two doctors’ approval after that was backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
He stated, “I believe women do have a right to choose.”
The Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, which granted women the right to an abortion under the Constitution, was overturned by the US Supreme Court on Friday.
The decision led to widespread demonstrations across the country and instantly permitted conservative states to restrict or outlaw abortion.