Local community service provider Desert Blue Connect welcomes newly modernised abortion laws

A local community service provider has welcomed the passing of abortion law reforms, saying the changes will benefit women living in regional WA. In a historical moment for women’s health, the Legislative Council backed the reforms of WA’s abortion laws to increase accessibility to the procedure. After a final vote last Wednesday, the new regime will come into effect next year. The reforms work in favour of women residing in the regions due to the limited quantity of health care practitioners available in remote and rural towns. Desert Blue Connect CEO Russell Pratt said the organisation was in support of the changes. “These laws will benefit regional women by providing them with better access to the services when they require it, recognising that women are the experts in their own lives and should have the autonomy to choose the path that suits them best,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure women have evidence-based information about their options and the tools they need to make the decision that is best for them.” Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson led the charge for the reforms, which will lift the maximum gestational limit for straightforward abortion from 20 to 23 weeks. Only one — rather than the current two — medical practitioners will be required to sign off on most terminations, and girls aged under 16 will no longer require the permission of a parent or guardian to access the procedure. Doctors who object to participating in abortion care will now be required to refer their patients to a clinician willing to perform a termination. “This historic reform improves the lives of WA women, especially those living in the regions, making it easier to access safe and legal abortions by removing outdated and unnecessary barriers to care,” Ms Sanderson said. Leader in the Legislative Council and Women’s Interests Minister Sue Ellery said the tone of debate was markedly different from the original move to legalise abortion in WA in 1998. The debate stirred emotions for many, but namely Minister for Food and Agriculture Jackie Jarvis. The minister shared her story of seeking an abortion after being date-raped in the early 1990s. During parliamentary debate on the legislation, Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton also shared her own personal story with abortion as a young woman who was not ready to become a mother. The Australian Christian Lobby showed contempt for the move, which WA State director Peter Abetz described as “the most liberal. . . in the world”.