The Queensland parliament has agreed to hold a conscience vote to decriminalise abortion; but after a day of debate, support for the legislation remains split firmly along party lines.

On Tuesday, the parliament heard emotional personal stories.



Nikki Boyd, the Labor member for Pine Rivers, said she went through a miscarriage in 2016 when a committee was considering abortion law reform. She is now pregnant again.

The Labor MP for Redlands, Kim Richards, said her mother had previously told her about falling pregnant as a young woman in 1963.

“They had two choices, for mum to be sent away to the country, or to access a termination,” Richards said. “It was a backyard termination. It was just that, but we don’t know the details or the damage done. Let me tell you, my mum was very lucky to get away with her life.”



Critically, no Labor MPs have spoken against the legislation. The bill will pass unless four government MPs cross the floor to oppose it.

Several members of the opposition said they supported the removal of abortion from the 1899 criminal code, but would only support the Palaszczuk government’s bill if it was watered down.

At the outset of the debate, LNP MP Mark McArdle announced he would push for several amendments, including reducing the proposed gestation limits from 22 weeks to 16 weeks.

The bill, and the proposed amendments, were criticised as potentially moving Queensland to extreme positions.



The health minister, Steven Miles, said he had been “appalled by the wilfiul provision of misinformation to women making this decision”.



“Some members will try to mislead this house today, as they have before, so before we start what could be a long debate lets get some facts on the record.



“This bill will not increase late-term abortions. It will not lead to sex-selective abortions. It won’t allow women to terminate their pregnancies up until birth. Women won’t start using abortion as their preferred method of contraception.”



The opposition leader, Deb Frecklington, said the bill was “not about protecting ... women. It is about politics pure and simple.

“We now have the most ideologically-driven government Queensland has ever seen and it is determined to destroy the consensus Queensland has seen over many years.

“My own view is that medically supervised terminations for medical reasons should remain legal. I do not believe that abortion should be available on demand. But as a woman and a mother I could never support abortion on demand after 22 weeks.”

Deputy LNP leader Tim Mander said the bill was “morally wrong” and said the foetus in the womb “is a baby, it is a human being”.

The proposed laws would allow abortion to 22 weeks and thereafter with the permission of two doctors. It would enforce 150m safe access zones to restrict protesters around termination clinics and remove all reference from the criminal code.

McArdle’s amendments would scrap the safe access zones. They would also allow doctors who conscientiously object to refuse to refer women to another medical practitioner.

Debate will continue on Wednesday. A final vote is expected on Thursday.