Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Pursuant to the contingent notice standing in my name relating to formal business, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion being moved immediately and determined without amendment or debate.

I was put on notice of the fact that formality would be refused to this motion today, but I'm at a disadvantage in that I don't understand the motive of the Australian Labor Party in resisting this motion. So my contribution needs to anticipate what their argument may be, and no doubt they'll have the courage to take to their feet to particularise why they've resisted the motion. I know why they've resisted it. It's because a bill will be introduced into the Queensland parliament today that liberalises abortion in my home state all the way through to late-term partial-birth abortion. We all know what that involves. That's a partial birth of a child before instruments are applied to its cranium, and it's crushed a minute or so from birth. Its opportunity at life is measured in seconds.

Our friends in the Labor Party sitting opposite don't want to expose that some of their senators would support this motion. That's what this is about. It can't be about arguments around comity or states' rights, because in this very place, you might recall, Deputy President, the Labor Party supported and, in fact, engineered such a motion. The architect of that motion, who was here at that time—a senator who will go unnamed—wasn't bright enough to have thought about it himself. He was a crossbencher. In relation to investigating the actions of the Queensland state government, the motion made reference, in particular, to reviewing all legislation implemented by the Newman government to determine its appropriateness and compatibility with social justice and natural justice requirements—their words. It was a motion supported by them. A select committee was engineered, occupied and managed by them. So I don't anticipate that their resistance will be around comity or the Commonwealth government taking an interest in state legislation. Remember: once this abortion opportunity is completely liberalised, the Commonwealth will have an interest in these abortions because they'll be available through the public system.

They are also anticipating that part of the legislation will be that any doctor who conscientiously objects to the conduct of an abortion will themselves be exposed to criminal processes. Think about that. These men and women, who have taken the Hippocratic oath, which has lasted 2,500 years, will be subject to reaction from the state if they fail to euthanise a child who's seconds away from living.

There's a lot of science, and I've listened today, and I don't want to digress. We've got the Greens, who will obviously support this lack of formality. They are arguing about a child in Manus—someone whom I have great sympathy for. According to the senator, that child is near death. But there is not one mention of these babies, not yet born, whose deaths are guaranteed in a partial-birth abortion. Now listen! We need to stand up; humanity needs to stand up. The world needs to look at how you vote on this motion today. I say that to every one of you, every single person in this chamber. Your vote denying formality for the question to be put to the floor of the Senate means that you support late-term partial-birth abortions. I can hardly hold the thought: a baby who is seconds off being named, or even prenamed in many cases—certainly, in my family line and in most of the families I'm involved with—will be euthanised with a blunt instrument where they, first of all, sever the spine and then compress the cranium.

This isn't about denying formality; this is about you not wanting to put your foot on the sticky paper of this abhorrent practice that's about to be introduced by legislation. (Time expired)