A re-elected Victorian Labor government will make abortions free by fully subsidising medicine-induced and surgical abortions.
The Health Minister and Premier announced the election offering on Thursday, saying it would save people $700 to $1000.
The election commitment is part of a suite of healthcare promises being made 45 days out from the election. The proposals include wider allowances for patient travel subsidies and extending the window for medicine-induced abortion from nine to 10 weeks.
More nurses and midwives will also be trained to prescribe the medication, and more staff and money allocated for the free, confidential pro-choice phone and online service.
“Polling shows the Liberals and One Nation can only form a government together, and One Nation wants to make abortion a criminal offence,” Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said.
“Only Labor will protect a woman’s right to choose.
“Abortion care is healthcare and Labor will make it free.”
Currently, an invasive surgical abortion can cost more than $1000, and medical abortions can tally up to about $700, both with some costs covered by Medicare.
State government figures show about two-thirds of Victorian women pay some out of pocket costs for their abortion.
Under the promise, private and public providers will be paid by the government for imaging, medications and fees when they are required to do a medical or surgical abortion within the first 16 weeks.
The window for medical abortion will be extended from nine weeks to 10, and the state healthcare quality and safety agency will review whether it can be extended to 12 weeks gestation.
In Victoria, an abortion can be performed legally up to 24 weeks gestation.
Monash University’s Department of General Practice head Danielle Mazza said the cost remained one of the biggest barriers to people getting an abortion.
Professor Mazza said details needed to be made clear, such as whether women would be able to choose their abortion healthcare provider, how GPs will be supported, and assuring public hospitals had the ability to train staff.
“We are encouraged to see this announcement, and are thrilled for Victorians that many of the barriers to abortion care would be removed under this model,” Professor Mazza said.
“However, it’s important to recognise this still leaves us without a nationally consistent approach. We call on other governments, including the federal government, to come to the table and match this commitment.”
One Nation is riding high in the poles in Victoria, seven weeks out from the state election. One Nation’s official policy position on abortion makes the false claim that “state governments (have) passed legislation which legalised abortion up until birth for any reason”.
The party’s official policies also say “Ban organ harvesting – Prevent the use of aborted baby organs”.
Coalition leader Jess Wilson has repeatedly said she would not wind back abortion laws.
Speaking on News24 on Thursday, federal Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said it made sense for her Victorian Labor colleagues to frame the commitment as a criticism of One Nation.
“One Nation’s made it clear that they support winding back access to safe and medically available abortion,” she said.
“And I’m not surprised that the Victorian government is seeking to make it clear that it’s only the Labor Party in Victoria that is committed to making sure that if a woman has to make that incredibly difficult decision that she can do so in a way that is safe and available.”
The federal frontbencher and former health minister said any criticism that the election promise would make unnecessary abortions more common was false.
“Abortion’s not easy, and I don’t think that anyone who has had an abortion would say that it was easy,” Ms Plibersek said.
“I think the only people who think it’s easy are people who’ve never had to make that difficult decision. And guess what? A lot of them are blokes who never will have to.”