Australia’s Legalised Infanticide: A Bill Reintroduced to Protect Children Born Alive After Failed Abortions

A bill to protect babies born alive after an abortion shouldn't be controversial.                                

On 30 November 2022, Senators Alex Antic (Liberal Party, South Australia), Ralph Babet (United Australia Party, Victoria) and Matt Canavan (LNP, Queensland) introduced the Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022 into the Australian Senate. This collective effort comes after the original bill, sponsored by former LNP MP George Christensen, lapsed when the House of Representatives was dissolved ahead of the federal election in May 2022.

“A child that survives an attempted termination of pregnancy should be entitled to the same level of medical care and treatment as any newborn child,” said Senator Alex Antic.

While abortion is generally an issue for state governments, Senator Canavan explains that Australia has obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which it is a signatory.

Article 6 says “every child has the inherent right to life” and article 24 says that governments must “ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to all children”.

It is this right and obligation articulated in the Convention that the senators’ bill seeks to hold the Australian government to when it comes to children born alive after an abortion.

The Children Born Alive Protection Bill (‘Born Alive Bill’) would require health professionals to provide medical care to babies born alive during an abortion procedure.

Senator Canavan says the bill is necessary because such protections for babies born alive do not currently exist in Australia. For example, official Queensland Health guidelines tell health professionals that if the baby is born alive, “do not provide life-sustaining treatment”, but rather “document date and time end of life occurs”. This is medical murder!

Will you help us to be the dominant voice for the Born Alive bill in Australia by adding your name to the petition and sharing it?

Please, as a mother, father, son, daughter or grandparent, sign our petition to ensure that the re-introduced bill will protect a child who is born alive because of a failed abortion.