NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman slams threats to leadership over abortion bill
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has accused a prominent anti-abortion campaigner of "brazen bullying", declaring he will not "cave in" in the face of political threats.
The lower house has been considering a bill brought by Greens MP Amanda Cohn, which would let nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives provide drugs to terminate early stage pregnancies.
Coalition and Labor MPs have been given a conscience vote on the matter and, until Tuesday night, Mr Speakman had declined to publicly state his position.
He told parliament that he would support the bill and said some arguments of anti-abortion campaigners were based on "misinformation."
"I think on balance, the bill will make no material difference to the rate of abortion in New South Wales," he said.
"[It] will not interfere with freedom of conscience, but will probably lead to better — not worse — health outcomes for many pregnant women seeking abortions."
Mr Speakman singled out high-profile anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe over an email she sent him on Monday night.
In the chamber, he read out what he said was an extract.
Mr Speakman said Dr Howe then "threatened" his leadership, leaving him in a state of "shock."
He continued reading from the email.
"If you choose to vote for the bill, I will be left with no other choice but to suspend my planned campaign against Labor, in order to lead a public campaign aimed at encouraging a grassroots opposition to you as Liberal leader."
Dr Howe, a legal professor at the University of Adelaide, is one of the most vocal critics of abortion in the country.
Last year, she was banned from parts of South Australia's parliament and last week, she appeared alongside former prime minister Tony Abbott at a major anti-abortion rally outside NSW parliament.
She has been contacted for comment.
Mr Speakman said any attempt to threaten his leadership would have no effect.
"I won't cave in to brazen bullying like this, nor to the Americanisation of New South Wales politics," he told parliament.
"I will vote, according to my conscience, to balance difficult and sensitive ethical, social, moral and medical concerns."
Under Dr Cohn's original bill, doctors with moral objections to abortion would be legally required to refer a patient to another practitioner who would provide the service.
Some mandatory reporting requirements would also be abolished.
However, these proposals were among those stripped from the bill in the upper house last week, due to lack of support.
"There is no way I could have voted for the current bill in its original form," Mr Speakman said.
"Successful amendments have now thankfully stripped the bill of its attacks on freedom of conscience and freedom of religion."
The premier, Chris Minns, will also support the pared-back bill so that experienced nurses and midwives can prescribe abortion medication to terminate pregnancies of up to nine weeks.
It is expected to pass the lower house this week.
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