‘Made a mistake’: One Nation’s NSW leader says party wants to restrict abortions, not stop them
News Source
•Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:19:50 GMT
📰 What Happened
One Nation's NSW leader Mike Newman says he ‘made a mistake’ when he told an anti-abortion rally he wanted abortion stopped. At the Tuesday night rally he said: ‘We want to make sure that abortion is stopped.’
By Wednesday he had changed his wording. Newman told the ABC that One Nation does not want to ban abortion outright. He said the party targets late-term and sex-selective abortions, and wants reproductive rights protected.
His comments came before NSW parliament voted down a bill to ban sex-selective abortion. It was introduced by Libertarian MP John Ruddick and failed on Wednesday night.
🔍 The Backstory
One Nation's written policy is listed as ‘pro-life’. It says the party will ‘seek every opportunity to roll back brutal and extreme abortion law’. It does not say at what stage of pregnancy abortion should be illegal.
Federal leader Pauline Hanson has said she is not against abortion in the first trimester, which does not match the written policy. Newman appeared at the rally with campaigner Joanna Howe, who wants abortion ended.
NSW health minister Ryan Park said there is no evidence sex-selective abortion happens here. It is already banned for health workers, and abortion itself is decriminalised in the state.
🎯 Why It Matters
Abortion laws decide whether people can get safe medical care near home. Watching how parties describe their plans helps voters judge what would really change.
One Nation's NSW leader Mike Newman says he ‘made a mistake’ when he told an anti-abortion rally he wanted abortion stopped. At the Tuesday night rally he said: ‘We want to make sure that abortion is stopped.’
By Wednesday he had changed his wording. Newman told the ABC that One Nation does not want to ban abortion outright. He said the party targets late-term and sex-selective abortions, and wants reproductive rights protected.
His comments came before NSW parliament voted down a bill to ban sex-selective abortion. It was introduced by Libertarian MP John Ruddick and failed on Wednesday night.
One Nation's written policy is listed as ‘pro-life’. It says the party will ‘seek every opportunity to roll back brutal and extreme abortion law’. It does not say at what stage of pregnancy abortion should be illegal.
Federal leader Pauline Hanson has said she is not against abortion in the first trimester, which does not match the written policy. Newman appeared at the rally with campaigner Joanna Howe, who wants abortion ended.
NSW health minister Ryan Park said there is no evidence sex-selective abortion happens here. It is already banned for health workers, and abortion itself is decriminalised in the state.
Abortion laws decide whether people can get safe medical care near home. Watching how parties describe their plans helps voters judge what would really change.