Abstract
Sauce with That?
In the NSW parliament, at least 11 politicians have cited a flawed conservative US think tank report on the abortion drug mifepristone during debate over expanding access to the medication. (Kate Tan, ‘A dubious report on medical abortion was cited in NSW Parliament. Where did it come from?’ ABC News, 4 June 2025.)
Susan Carter, Joe McGirr and Greg Donnelly are three of the NSW politicians who cited the flawed abortion study in parliament. (ABC News Verify, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-04/dubious-abortion-report-eppc-nsw-parliament/105367324.)
Parliament has voted to expand access to mifepristone which allows nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives to prescribe abortion medication for early-stage pregnancies.
The recent paper, which suggested mifepristone carried more risk for women than previously thought, was cited by MPs including Liberals, Labor, and independents. Australian experts contacted by ABC News Verify, for help in interpreting the report, labelled it ‘not scientific’, ‘scaremongering’ and ‘misinformation’.
Kirsten Black, a gynaecology professor from the University of Sydney, said there were a number of issues with the report including that it wasn’t peer reviewed, wasn’t published in a reputable journal and was misinformation using data, the sources of which are, to say the least, unclear. A spokesman for the think tank refused to disclose the source of the data to ABC NEWS Verify.
No Handouts from PALM
New research reveals hard realities for migrant workers on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme including the prevalence of home abortions and hidden pregnancies.
The PALM scheme is a migrant worker scheme designed to attract workers to Australia from the Pacific region. It was originally established to fill worker shortages in rural and regional Australia, predominantly in agriculture and meat processing, while also providing income for Pacific and Timorese workers to send home. More recently the scheme has been expanded to include aged care, hospitality, retail and tourism, and a pilot is underway for the childcare sector.
Many women employed in Australia through PALM are not getting appropriate information or affordable access to sexual health services, according to Australian National University researcher Lindy Kanan who has been investigating the experiences of workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor Leste employed in Australia under PALM.
Her research highlights issues with access to contraception, antenatal care, abortion, STI screening and treatment as well as workers experiencing coercion, discrimination and gender-based violence.
The Australian Women’s Health Alliance is calling for urgent action to address the health needs of PALM scheme workers. (Lucy Barbour and Cath McAloon, ‘Home abortions and hiding pregnancy, research reveals hard realities for migrant workers’, ABC News, 2 June 2025 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-02/migrant-workers-face-pregnancy-discrimination-barriers-abortion/105337020.)
Ms Kanan conducted dozens of interviews with PALM workers, employers and service providers about experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, contraception and sexual and gender-based violence. In her final report, It’s not illegal to be pregnant, Ms Kanan has outlined systemic issues as well as incidents of PALM participants facing discrimination, coercion, hardship, harassment, assault and difficulty accessing appropriate and affordable health care.
Access to legal abortions is limited in many Pacific Island nations and, in some cultures, there is stigma and sensitivity around the subject. The ANU report suggests a lack of information about the availability of local abortion services, fear of the costs, or a sense of shame could be factors pushing PALM workers to extreme alternatives. PALM has come under significant criticism for putting vulnerable workers in danger of exploitation.
Trudi Beck runs a women’s health clinic in Wagga Wagga, NSW and estimates a quarter of the patients she sees seeking abortions are migrant workers employed in horticulture, meat processing and aged care sectors who are in vulnerable situations. Dr Beck supports a woman’s right to choose and says, ‘I have a moral issue with visa structures that mean a woman has to choose between a pregnancy and supporting her family at home.’