On the eve of the Jackie Trad Labor extreme abortion laws being tabled in Parliament tomorrow [Tuesday, 21 August], a new independent opinion poll shows a majority of Queensland voters, particularly women, are opposed to the proposed laws.

Executive director of Cherish Life Queensland, Ms Teeshan Johnson, said the results sent a clear, loud, and determined message to politicians from the voters – “we do not support this”.

“This is an emphatic rejection of the Jackie Trad extreme abortion laws – the results speak for themselves.” Analysis showed the following…

Voters do not want this change - 56% of Queensland voters either believe the law should stay the same or be stricter, compared with 26% who think it should less restrictive.

Voters strongly oppose late-term abortion – When asked, Up to what stage of pregnancy would you allow abortion, only 6% of Queenslanders said after 23 weeks. Just 3% of Queensland women support abortion up to birth, compared with 10% of men. When asked specifically whether they supported the provision in the Trad Labor Bill to legalise abortion from 22 weeks to birth, under a number of criteria including “social circumstances”, 62% said No. This included 70% of women and 54% of men. Just 22% of Queensland voters support this provision in the Bill.

Voters overwhelmingly reject sex-selective abortions – 83% of voters oppose sex- selective abortions. Only 8% support this practice, in which unborn babies are killed for the “crime” of being a girl. Just 5% of women support this, compared with 11% of men. This question is relevant because sex-selective abortions will be legalised under the Trad Labor Bill as abortion on request for any reason before 22 weeks means exactly that, as does abortion for “social” reasons past 22 weeks.

Voters will change their vote on this issue – supporting the Bill would be more likely to cost votes (39%) than be a vote winner (15%). 43% of females say they would be less likely to vote for a MP who supported the Bill, compared with 14% of women who would be more likely to do so. Overall, this indicates a potential average swing of 13% against pro-abortion MPs.

“The results are in, and they are very clear,” said Ms Johnson. “MPs should reject this extreme law proposed by Jackie Trad and Labor.”

This opinion poll of 1,000 Queensland voters, conducted from 6 to 8 August by independent market research firm YouGov Galaxy for Cherish Life Queensland and the Australian Family Association, asked 21 questions to a representative sample on proposed changes to abortion laws.

We are pleased to share with you the full results of the most comprehensive survey on abortion ever done in Queensland, which includes the entire questionnaire and all tables. This research does not skim the surface like other polls do, but drills down to find out what Queenslanders really think about abortion.

Cherish Life executive director Teeshan Johnson will be available for DOORSTOP INTERVIEWS TODAY, Monday 20 August 2018, between 12.30 pm and 1 pm, or by arrangement, outside the front doors of the Parliamentary Annexe, Alice St, Brisbane.

Cherish Life Queensland has slammed the State Labor Government’s closure of 40 maternity units during its various terms over the past two decades, which has led to a spike in infant mortality and dangerous birthing conditions for many Queensland mothers in rural and regional areas.

“The Labor Government’s disregard for the health of expectant women and babies in rural and regional areas over many years is very worrying, especially when contrasted to the way it is now pushing for extreme abortion laws under which public hospitals would have to provide free abortion on request,” Ms Teeshan Johnson, Cherish Life executive director said.

“It seems successive Labor Governments have made critical health decisions based on money, at the expense of babies’ lives and women’s health.

“Now Deputy Premier Jackie Trad is spruiking extreme and unpopular abortion-to-birth legislation, which if passed will further reduce the supply of doctors to rural and regional areas because of the lack of proper conscientious objection protection for doctors.

“Ironically, one of the reasons abortion advocates are giving for this extreme legislation is that women in rural and regional areas will have better access to abortion.

“So there could well be a situation where a regional hospital which has had its birthing unit closed will start to offer abortion services instead under the proposed Labor law.

“It is an absolute disgrace that the Labor Government has caused though its closure of much-needed birthing units a situation in which babies born in country towns without a maternity unit have almost four times the chance of dying as babies who are born in rural hospitals with maternity services.

“And it would be a huge insult to these regional towns to offer abortion services in the place of birthing units in the local hospitals.”