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After the Queensland parliament heard a harrowing account of children born alive and left to die after abortion, federal Senator Ralph Babet will move a motion of urgency today to condemn the practice of leaving children to die after failed abortions.

Senator Ralph Babet will today move a motion of urgency to recognise the terrible tragedy that every week in Australia, a baby born alive after a failed abortion is left to die. As tabled on the order of business for the Senate, the motion reads:

“The need for the Senate to recognise that at least one baby is born alive every 7 days following a failed abortion and left to die, and that Australia’s health care system is enabling these inhumane deaths; and for the Senate to condemn this practice, noting that babies born alive as a result of a failed abortion deserve care.”

In an emotional post on X, the Senator wrote, “I will be speaking about this horror tomorrow in the Senate. A hard topic to talk about but one which needs to be shown the light of day. I don’t think any sane person could make any argument that late-term abortion of healthy babies is an acceptable thing.”

“Any society that advocates strongly for the murder of its babies is a society in decline which is soon to end up in the trash heap of history. Satan walks among us.”

Did you know that late term abortion for any reason whatsoever is legal?

Did you also know that every week at least one baby is born ALIVE and left to die following their own failed abortion?

These babies gasp for air, sometimes surviving for hours before finally dying.

I… pic.twitter.com/uxhXxEqnRZ

— Senator Babet (@senatorbabet) August 19, 2024

An Idle Bill

The Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022 has sat idle for a year following a Federal Senate inquiry in June 2023.

The bill was drafted and introduced by then–Queensland MP George Christensen in 2021. After the 2022 federal election, it was re-introduced into parliament by Senators Matthew Canavan, Alex Antic and Ralph Babet.

Whilst the bill has remained active (and will continue to do so until the next federal election), it has seen no success in being brought forward for a debate in the Senate.

This could change if Senator Babet’s motion of urgency is successful.

The Victorian senator was spurred into action after the Queensland inquiry into Robbie Katter’s Termination of Pregnancy (Live Birth) Bill 2024 on Monday. At that inquiry, a Queensland midwife gave a first-hand account of the plight of babies born alive after an abortion.

In a FaceBook post, Professor of Law and Rhodes scholar Dr Joanna Howe wrote, “In response to today’s hearing, Senator Babet is bringing an urgency motion in federal parliament tomorrow.”

“Courage begets courage and [Queensland midwife Louise Adsell’s] decision to speak out today, has spurred Senator Babet to force a vote on this tomorrow [Tuesday 20 August]. All of us need to find the courage to spread the word.”

Queensland Midwife Gives Harrowing Testimony in Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry

At a Queensland parliamentary inquiry on Monday morning, midwife Louise Adsett spoke publicly about her experiences of babies born alive after an abortion and left to die.

The inquiry was to hear evidence for Robbie Katter’s Termination of Pregnancy (Live Birth) Bill 2024, which the Queensland MP introduced into his state parliament in March this year.

As reported in The Australian, Adsett, who has worked in maternity and birthing units for around 14 years, told the inquiry that these unwanted babies were not held by their parents.

She testified that staff struggled to cope because they were “unable to provide any medical care for the baby” and were “limited to providing comfort care only, which is merely wrapping and holding the baby”.

Holding back tears, Louise gave evidence that babies, often around 22 weeks’ gestation, were born and placed in metal dishes or witches’ hats and left to die in medical rooms. The distressing footage has since been posted on Professor Joanna Howe’s YouTube channel, but viewer discretion is advised.

The midwife gave one specific example of an aborted baby at 21-weeks’ gestation. She told the inquiry that “The process began in the morning with misoprostol given throughout the day. The process took all day, and the baby was only delivered during the early hours of a night shift where skeleton staff was on duty.

“This baby moved vigorously, gasped for breath and had a palpable heart rate to make it clear this baby was alive. It was over 400 grams, but the baby was a good weight.

“The parents of this baby did not desire to see or hold this baby. Midwives and doctors were left holding this little life while they continued to provide cares for other women who were birthing and welcoming their babies into the world.

“This baby boy fought for his life for five hours before taking his final breath. This is not an uncommon occurrence.”

Louise Adsett is a contentious objector to abortion, but said she was “happy to make myself available to hold a baby who was born alive after an abortion”.

She was invited to give evidence after contacting the Queensland arm of the Australian Christian Lobby months earlier. While she is given parliamentary protection for giving evidence, the midwife’s testimony is sure to come under severe scrutiny.

Only hours later, Dr Broome in her evidence representing the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), completely denied that babies are ever born alive and left to die in Queensland. Dr Broome argued that there was no need for this legislation.

However, it is on the public health record that babies are left to die after an abortion, as health statistics from various states demonstrate. In Queensland alone, between 2010 and 2020 there have been 328 babies born alive and left to die.

Professor Joanna Howe, who was present at the Queensland inquiry, stated that “Dr Broome works at Lou’s hospital and there is no doubt in my mind that Lou’s bravery today will present challenges for her at work. When I asked Lou why she was prepared to speak out, she said that the situation had got so bad that she felt she had to.”

Advocating for These Unwanted Babies

Senator Babet’s motion of urgency will go a long way in deciding whether the Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022 will ever be debated in the Senate.

Members of the public can support the motion of urgency by contacting federal senators today, sharing this Daily Declaration article and the article in The Australian, and praying for our parliamentarians that the human dignity, value and worth of these unwanted babies is upheld – just as any other child.

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Image via Dr Joanna Howe/YouTube.

Article updated 20 August 2024.