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From Texas to Australia, we can't go backwards on abortion From Texas to Australia, we can't go backwards on abortion
(2 months later)
Last month, people around the world watched in awe as senator Wendy Davis led a 13 hour long “people’s filibuster” in an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill that would effectively end most of Texan women’s access to abortion. What we’ve learned since is that despite its reputation for redneck and red state politics, Texans largely supported senator Davis, and most of them support a woman’s right to choose. Last month, people around the world watched in awe as senator Wendy Davis led a 13 hour long “people’s filibuster” in an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill that would effectively end most of Texan women’s access to abortion. What we’ve learned since is that despite its reputation for redneck and red state politics, Texans largely supported senator Davis, and most of them support a woman’s right to choose. 
Australians are also overwhelmingly pro-choice. No matter who they vote for, or what religion they observe, poll after poll confirms that a majority of Australians support the rights of women to access safe abortion if they so choose. Whether this has its roots in our free, compulsory and secular education, the early enfranchisement of women, or the hard work of second wave feminists, this is a society effectively in agreement that reproductive rights are good for everyone. Australians are also overwhelmingly pro-choice. No matter who they vote for, or what religion they observe, poll after poll confirms that a majority of Australians support the rights of women to access safe abortion if they so choose. Whether this has its roots in our free, compulsory and secular education, the early enfranchisement of women, or the hard work of second wave feminists, this is a society effectively in agreement that reproductive rights are good for everyone. 
And yet Australian women still don’t have universal and uniform access to terminations, contraception and the support they need to be in control of their reproductive health. The laws vary significantly throughout the country, with Victoria and ACT the most liberal and Tasmania and Queensland the most punitive.And yet Australian women still don’t have universal and uniform access to terminations, contraception and the support they need to be in control of their reproductive health. The laws vary significantly throughout the country, with Victoria and ACT the most liberal and Tasmania and Queensland the most punitive.
So if most Australians support women’s rights over their bodies, why does the law not always reflect this?So if most Australians support women’s rights over their bodies, why does the law not always reflect this?
Because attempts to standardise or reform abortion law have been sabotaged by minority groups that oppose abortion. It’s an absurd and decidedly undemocratic situation where small, well-funded groups with extremist views held in contempt by a majority of Australians are able to hold the public to ransom by campaigning, besieging abortion clinics, and beseeching anti-choice politicians to represent their views in parliament.Because attempts to standardise or reform abortion law have been sabotaged by minority groups that oppose abortion. It’s an absurd and decidedly undemocratic situation where small, well-funded groups with extremist views held in contempt by a majority of Australians are able to hold the public to ransom by campaigning, besieging abortion clinics, and beseeching anti-choice politicians to represent their views in parliament.
So while these people are wildly out of step with community attitudes, their influence on a handful of anti-choice politicians is real. Just as the Texas state legislature is being controlled by a small number of fundamentalists seeking to control the bodies of Texan women, so too does Australia have its own anti-choice representatives.So while these people are wildly out of step with community attitudes, their influence on a handful of anti-choice politicians is real. Just as the Texas state legislature is being controlled by a small number of fundamentalists seeking to control the bodies of Texan women, so too does Australia have its own anti-choice representatives.
Like Tony Abbott, who has repeatedly demonstrated not only his contempt for women’s reproductive rights, but his steadfast belief in the right of the state to regulate women’s bodies. His promise not to interfere in abortion law if elected is utterly meaningless against the backdrop of his past actions. Like Tony Abbott, who has repeatedly demonstrated not only his contempt for women’s reproductive rights, but his steadfast belief in the right of the state to regulate women’s bodies. His promise not to interfere in abortion law if elected is utterly meaningless against the backdrop of his past actions. 
Abbott worked hard to prevent Australian women gaining access to RU486 (a situation that is thankfully now rectified) and as Julia Gillard recalled in her now famous “misogyny speech” to parliament, a few years ago he referred to abortion as “the easy way out” and “an objectively grave matter [that] has been reduced to a question of the mother's convenience”. Abbott worked hard to prevent Australian women gaining access to RU486 (a situation that is thankfully now rectified) and as Julia Gillard recalled in her now famous “misogyny speech” to parliament, a few years ago he referred to abortion as “the easy way out” and “an objectively grave matter [that] has been reduced to a question of the mother's convenience”. 
Some have noted that because abortion law is regulated by the states, the threat posed by a prime minister Abbott is not credible. This is nonsense. As long as there are anti-choice politicians in positions of power, women will be at risk. In Victoria, the battle was fought over decades to guarantee access to terminations, while in other states the fight continues, and all of this progress could be jeopardised by a top-down return to retrograde thinking about women’s rights.Some have noted that because abortion law is regulated by the states, the threat posed by a prime minister Abbott is not credible. This is nonsense. As long as there are anti-choice politicians in positions of power, women will be at risk. In Victoria, the battle was fought over decades to guarantee access to terminations, while in other states the fight continues, and all of this progress could be jeopardised by a top-down return to retrograde thinking about women’s rights.
I want governments that respect the work of reproductive rights campaigners in changing social attitudes, who want women to be empowered by choices over their bodies and their fertility, and who respect the majority of Australians who support a woman’s right to choose.I want governments that respect the work of reproductive rights campaigners in changing social attitudes, who want women to be empowered by choices over their bodies and their fertility, and who respect the majority of Australians who support a woman’s right to choose.
Do you want an anti-choice prime minister weighing in on Medicare coverage of abortion, or whether contraceptives and treatments like RU486 and the morning after pill to remain included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme? Do you want him advising his foreign affairs minister that our aid to other countries should be tied to “Christian values” like reducing sex education, contraceptive distribution and access to terminations?Do you want an anti-choice prime minister weighing in on Medicare coverage of abortion, or whether contraceptives and treatments like RU486 and the morning after pill to remain included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme? Do you want him advising his foreign affairs minister that our aid to other countries should be tied to “Christian values” like reducing sex education, contraceptive distribution and access to terminations?
When our foreign affairs department lifted a ban on Australian aid being used to fund family planning and safe abortions in poor nations, prime minister Kevin Rudd told the meeting he "did not personally support the change and had longstanding conservative views on abortion”. When our foreign affairs department lifted a ban on Australian aid being used to fund family planning and safe abortions in poor nations, prime minister Kevin Rudd told the meeting he "did not personally support the change and had longstanding conservative views on abortion”. 
That was in 2009. So this election will be contested between two male politicians who have made public and plain their opposition to abortion. We should all be concerned about this.That was in 2009. So this election will be contested between two male politicians who have made public and plain their opposition to abortion. We should all be concerned about this.
The reason why Texas matters is that there we saw Republicans pushing this legislation who were extremists representing the views of other extremists. But because their beliefs are not shared by a majority of Texans they drafted a bill that didn’t directly attack abortion rights, but rather made it impossible for providers to deliver abortions legally. Roe v Wade sought to protect American women and anti-choice politicians have been whiteanting it ever since.The reason why Texas matters is that there we saw Republicans pushing this legislation who were extremists representing the views of other extremists. But because their beliefs are not shared by a majority of Texans they drafted a bill that didn’t directly attack abortion rights, but rather made it impossible for providers to deliver abortions legally. Roe v Wade sought to protect American women and anti-choice politicians have been whiteanting it ever since.
Feminists have fought hard to educate the public on the importance of reproductive rights and most of the community agrees. We should have the right to elect representatives who respect that. Feminists have fought hard to educate the public on the importance of reproductive rights and most of the community agrees. We should have the right to elect representatives who respect that. 
We can’t be complacent here. We’re never going back.We can’t be complacent here. We’re never going back.
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