Katter Party’s Push to Revisit Abortion Laws Faces Defeat, Testing Premier’s Grip
A recent manoeuvre by Katter’s Australian Party to reintroduce debate on abortion access through a subtle amendment to Queensland’s healthcare legislation is expected to fall short, but it highlights ongoing tensions within the conservative ranks and presents a significant test for Premier David Crisafulli’s leadership.
The party’s leader, Robbie Katter, is set to introduce a disallowance motion in parliament this week. The aim of this motion is to block an upcoming update to the state’s Medicines and Poisons Act. This amendment would empower a broader range of nurses and midwives to prescribe and administer abortion medications, including the widely used MS-2 Step.
While the specific section of the Act targeted by the Katter’s motion does not explicitly name abortion drugs, it serves to implement new Extended Practice Authorities (EPAs). These EPAs are designed to expand the scope of practice for various healthcare professionals.
Expanding Healthcare Powers Under Scrutiny
The five updated EPAs, which were formally presented in February, encompass a range of medical provisions. These include the authorisation for practitioners to administer various medications such as vaccines and naloxone, an antidote for opioid overdoses. Furthermore, these EPAs permit healthcare professionals to insert and remove contraceptive devices, such as intra-uterine devices (IUDs).
Should Katter’s disallowance motion succeed, it would effectively nullify all the medicines and actions covered by these updated EPAs, not solely those related to termination medications. This broad impact is a key point of contention.
Concerns Over “Insidious Attacks” on Access
Anjulee Singh, the chief executive of Children By Choice, expressed that while the disallowance motion itself might appear obscure, she is not surprised by attempts from conservative politicians to bring the issue of abortion access back into public discourse.
“That, in and of itself, is our concern because it represents the sort of insidious, incremental attack on access,” Singh stated. “There was an attempt, I believe, to subtly introduce this into the regulations and handle it quietly. That’s the concerning part – that it was simply placed on the agenda, and if people weren’t paying very close attention, it could have been allowed to pass without significant debate.”
MS-2 Step is a medical regimen comprising two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, used for the medical termination of pregnancies up to nine weeks from the last menstrual period.
Singh emphasised that Katter’s disallowance motion could disproportionately affect women residing in regional and remote areas. These communities often depend on a limited number of healthcare providers who are able to prescribe and administer these vital medications.
“Any delay caused by nurses and midwives being unable to prescribe [medication] can lead to later gestations for pregnant individuals seeking a termination, which in turn can result in more complex complications,” she explained. “And from the perspective of the right-wing agenda, this would indeed lead to later gestations and potentially more controversy from their viewpoint.”
A Test for Premier Crisafulli’s Leadership
Shannon Fentiman, the Opposition spokesperson for women, labelled the Katter party’s latest manoeuvre as a “dangerous pathway for conservative politicians to wind back access to abortion, one step at a time.”
“This vote will serve as a critical test of whether David Crisafulli and his LNP Members of Parliament truly support a woman’s right to choose and whether they back nurses and midwives having the authority to prescribe medical abortions,” Fentiman asserted.
This disallowance motion follows closely on the heels of a notable event in February. LNP MP Nigel Dalton sensationally crossed the floor, defying his party’s stance, to vote with the Katter party on a motion aimed at overturning Crisafulli’s directive to gag any bills or debates concerning abortion laws. This gag was implemented after Crisafulli’s election victory in 2024.
Although that particular motion was ultimately unsuccessful, it reignited questions about Crisafulli’s command over his party, particularly its more conservative factions, and whether the promise to keep abortion reform under wraps during his initial term will hold.
Attempts were made to contact Dalton and other conservative backbenchers for their comments and to ascertain their positions regarding the upcoming motion.
