Women’s choice backed

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2019 themercury.com.au TASMANIA’S new pro-choice Health Minister Sarah Courtney says she is looking forward to ensuring women have a full range of services available to them should they need to terminate a pregnancy.

Tasmania’s only low-cost abortion provider closed in January last year and has not been replaced, although private specialists have been providing the procedure in Hobart. SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397

Former health minister Michael Ferguson long denied his Christian beliefs were holding up progress on the introduction of a dedicated low-cost surgical abortion service amid ongoing criticism from women’s groups and Labor.

His successor, Ms Courtney, yesterday pointed to the interaction between her portfolio and her new role as Minister for Women when asked about her views on abortion.

“As Minister for Women, I’m really keen to talk and engage with stakeholders as well as women and patients across Tasmania and making sure that I understand the full range of needs across the whole range of women’s health,” Ms Courtney said.

“We’ve got a range of views, I would say, within our party, but I’m looking forward to being able to support women to have a range of choices available to them and the full range of choices available to them.”

Ms Courtney said the Tasmanian Health Service would continue to work with Melbourne clinic Hampden Park Women’s Health Care to provide a low-cost, fly-in fly-out service from Hobart.

The provider was announced as delivering lowcost surgical abortions late last year but is yet to start work in the state because of infrastructure issues at the proposed facility.

“Late last year we achieved the outcome of having a lowcost provider here in Tasmania, so that is available for surgical terminations for women,” Ms Courtney said.

“We have travel available for women to access that service.

“It’s something I’m really pleased we do have that here in Tasmania.”