The Queensland Parliament has been banned from debating abortion for four years after a plot motion by Prime Minister David Crisafulli in a move labeled “unprecedented”.
The motion also requires that any “motion or amendment” seeking to order the House “express its views” on abortion.
Opposition and crossbench MPs labeled the move “extraordinary” and “unheard of”.
There was no information on the motion before Crisafulli introduced the motion in Parliament after the question of time. Just half an hour was scheduled for debate before the majority of the National Liberal Party made it through the aisle.
All 50 LNP MPs present voted against the motion, with 35 Labor MPs and three Australian Katter MPs voting against it.
Crisafulli said his move was a “distorted … US-style campaign of terror.” It is about the recent Queensland election campaign.
“I said from day one, it wasn’t part of our plan,” Crisafulli said.
“I said there will be no changes. Despite this – Labor knew – and yet, the social media tsunami, the grubby phone calls continued. Millions of dollars have been spent on a terrible war.’
abortion follows the LNP throughout the election campaign.
Crisafulli failed to rule out a conscience vote in the event, despite being asked to do so dozens of times. Many of its MPs are strongly anti-abortion.
The Leader of the Opposition, Steven Miles, said the move was “extraordinary”.
“Mr Speaker, these scenes are unique. I thought I had never seen anything so extraordinary as what they did at the last meeting. But this without notation, without discussion, without any plan in these instruments, so that it would also come, so much boredom, restlessness, care. [of a serious issue].
Several Labor MPs pointed out that the move would prevent parliament from advancing legislative protections for abortion services.
“If there are further developments by the TGA to strengthen the scope of practice for the use of health professionals, making it easier for women, this house cannot have that problem,” Labor MP Shannon Fentiman said. “If women need more protection from pursuing abortions, reforms cannot happen.
“This is appalling, it’s unheard of and it’s a shame that it’s so obviously, so obviously against women’s rights in this state that they’ve been driving their members crazy for four years. Shame on you.”
Crossbench MP Robbie Katter has repeatedly vowed to withdraw the party’s “born alive babies” bill, which regulated abortion providers, a move that almost certainly forced a vote into the event.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Katter said the start is a slippery slope.
“Are they right – what do they not want to see debated on the whole of this parliament like a motion in – and say, we don’t want to see what is debated on the rest of this parliament?” he said.
“There is every inch of democracy offensive in this state.”