Pictured: Leader of Katter’s Australia Party Robbie Katter

The Termination of Pregnancy (live births) Bill to Parliament by MP Robbie Katter in late March.

If successful, the bill will legislate current Queensland Health Guidelines regarding the provision of medical care given to children born alive after an abortion and will bring Queensland into line with South Australia and New South Wales.

Queensland Health Guidelines states that if a child is “born with signs of life,” practitioners are to “provide care appropriate to the individual clinical circumstances and in accordance with best practice guidelines.”

Robbie Katter says the Bill aims to clarify that babies born alive after an abortion receive the same care as any other baby.

“[the bill] aims to afford the same human dignity to kids born alive after abortions and to avoid extreme cases where babies have been left to die alone or discarded in a waste bin while their heart is still beating,” Mr Katter said.

Data from Queensland Health supporting the bill shows that between 2021 to 2022 there were 90 live births recorded as a result late-term abortion.

In 2023 the Courier-Mail published an article about baby Xanthe, who was born alive after an abortion at 19 weeks and was left to die.

Mr Katter thinks that legislating these guidelines will avoid future cases similar to Baby Xanthe’s case and will not affect Queenslanders’ right to abortion.

“This is a glaringly obvious gap and does not invoke those Christian arguments about abortion, this legislation is solely about protecting human rights” he said.

Mr Katter also expressed concern about the lack of mental health support available to people seeking an abortion as well as the medical staff attending.

The Health Committee’s Report will be handed down in September before it is voted on.