Anti-abortion rhetoric is becoming entrenched in Australian right-wing politics
A new ‘born alive’ bill has been brought before federal parliament. While it won’t pass, it reveals the strategies of the growing anti-abortion push.
In a recent political move, Queensland Nationals MP Llew O'Brien introduced a controversial "born alive" bill into the Australian House of Representatives. This bill aimed to require the same medical care for a baby born alive after an abortion as for any other newborn, a situation that is extremely rare. The bill would also impose criminal penalties on abortion providers who fail to provide such care, potentially leading to a chilling effect on doctors' willingness to offer abortion services.
The bill is not new, having been introduced multiple times in the past five years. It purports to implement Australia's international treaty obligations, but is inconsistent with these treaties and the findings of United Nations bodies. Critics argue that the bill is framed as human rights legislation to misappropriate human rights language and support positions inconsistent with human rights norms.
The use of human rights language to support anti-abortion positions is a pattern observed in anti-abortion action worldwide. In addition to the born alive bill, the Australian Christian Lobby held an event on Parliament House lawns, showcasing the entrenched anti-abortion rhetoric in Australian right-wing politics.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
