Nationals Senator Matt Canavan alongside Farrer candidates David Farley, Rebecca Scriven and Brad Robertson and organiser Dr Joanna Howe at the forum in Albury. Photo: Dr Joanna Howe/Facebook.
Australia’s most prominent anti-abortion campaigner has urged voters to preference Family First, One Nation and the Nationals as one, two and three, respectively, on ballot papers at the upcoming Farrer by-election, after candidates from those parties attended a pro-life forum in Albury last week.
Dr Joanna Howe, an Adelaide-based law professor, has built a large social media following as she campaigns for tighter restrictions on abortion, particularly in late-term cases. Much of her commentary and promotion of the Albury forum was published via her public Facebook page.
While abortion is primarily a state issue, Dr Howe said she invited all 12 candidates in the by-election for the federal seat to her community town hall last Friday, but only three attended: Rebecca Scriven (Family First), David Farley (One Nation) and Brad Robertson (Nationals). The other candidates either declined to attend or did not respond.
Mr Farley, widely seen as a frontrunner in the race, outlined his position on Facebook ahead of the event.
“My personal feelings on the matter are that I am pro-life. I am deeply uncomfortable with the law in New South Wales, which for all intents and purposes allows abortion up to birth — including when the baby inside the womb is viable. As medical technology improves our ability to care for premature babies, I find it deeply troubling that our laws have moved in the opposite direction. Late-term abortions where a baby’s life is viable should be illegal. I also note how dangerous these procedures so often are for the women who undergo them.”
Dr Howe praised his stance, adding that Mr Farley supported One Nation’s policy of banning sex-selective abortion — a position the candidate confirmed.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but access remains restricted throughout the Farrer electorate — where no hospital offers surgical abortion.
Under NSW law, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks’ gestation. After 22 weeks, it can occur only if two medical practitioners agree it is appropriate, taking into account medical circumstances, the woman’s health and wellbeing, and other factors. According to available data, abortions after 20 weeks make up a small minority of procedures, generally estimated at under 3 per cent.
Sex-selective abortion refers to terminating a pregnancy based on the fetus’s gender, most commonly targeting females. The practice has been documented in parts of Asia, but there is little evidence that it is widespread in Australia.
Dr Howe recommended voters give Family First candidate Rebecca Scriven their first preference, followed by Mr Farley, then Nationals candidate Brad Robertson. She noted Mr Robertson spoke at the forum about concerns around late-term abortion and the need to better support pregnant women.
She suggested independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe be placed last on ballots, stating she did not respond to the invitation to attend the forum.
Amanda Cohn, the state Greens MP for Albury, criticised the candidates who attended.
“The Greens are proudly pro-choice … abortion is a personal decision between the person who’s pregnant and their health professional — not up to politicians or the church,” she wrote on social media, also accusing Dr Howe of spreading misinformation.
In response, Dr Howe reposted Dr Cohn’s comments to her followers, saying her movement was being targeted by “extreme leftists”. Some of her supporters also criticised Dr Cohn’s use of the phrase “person who is pregnant” rather than “woman”.
Dr Howe was contacted for comment.
The Farrer by-election will take place on Saturday, 9 May. Early voting begins on Tuesday, 28 April. Check out the Australian Electoral Commission website for details on where to vote.
