Misinformation about abortion is rife, and we’re here to unpack these dangerous myths. One Nation is calling our rights into question — proposing legislation and policies that chip away at abortion access.

Their rhetoric is misleading and politicises necessary medical care. This is especially dangerous as we head into the Victorian state election at the end of November. 

Here are some of the *more* problematic things that One Nation members have said about abortion and why it’s factually falling short:  

Late-term abortions

In June 2026, Pauline Hanson referred to late-term abortions as “appalling and disgusting”. Under its “Pro-life” policies, One Nation is proposing to restrict access to late-term abortions. Stating that “current legislation in some states allows the abortion of an unborn child up until the day of birth.”

Okkkk wow, let’s unpack this fearmongering:

• The Australian Capital Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia where there is no gestational limit on abortions. However, researchers from La Trobe University found that there’s no evidence that gestational limits result in fewer second- and third-trimester abortions. But there is evidence that such cut-offs harm women, especially those who are already disadvantaged. 
• Data from MSI Surgical Abortion Australia shows that the reasons for abortions include fetal anomalies, health issues and complex psychosocial issues. Late-term abortions are usually considered abortions that occur between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation. They are rare and require support from two medical practitioners in most jurisdictions in Australia. 
• Late-term abortions are already heavily regulated; policing them with harsh policies will only make medical professionals more apprehensive about providing abortions and limit options for pregnant people in incredibly difficult circumstances.

By labelling late-term abortions “disgusting”, it transforms a complex medical decision into a shame-filled spectacle. 

“Sex-selective abortions”

Barnaby Joyce spoke at an anti-abortion rally in June condemning so-called “sex-selective abortions”, saying: “If, by some perverse form of logic, it was legal to kill toddlers if they were the wrong sex, we’d have a demonstration,” he said. “Yet, for some unknown reason, if they’re in utero, it’s OK.”

Banning sex-selective abortion is a stated policy priority for One Nation. However, the SA Law Reform Institute found “little, if any, evidence that abortions purely based on gender are a real issue in Australia”.

This practice is said to occur within communities with specific migrant backgrounds. However, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney found this claim false. Rather, they concluded that this racist line of argument is part of a larger anti-abortion strategy “designed to foment stigma and discourage health practitioners from providing abortions.”

Just more fearmongering: making wild claims with no basis in evidence. 

Chipping away at our rights

At an anti-abortion rally in September, NSW One-Nation Leader Mike Newman said about abortion in general: “We want to make sure that abortion rights … we want to stop it.”

He later clarified to The Guardian, “What we’re talking about is late-term and sex-selection abortion, which we want to put an end to.”

This is not the first One Nation member to deviate from their stated policy. One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts has stated that he will push his party to adopt a blanket abortion ban. 

Any threat to abortion legislation is a threat to the reproductive rights we have overall. Despite targeting fringe sections of legislation, Anti-abortion legislation can have a snowball effect, reducing overall access to abortions. 

A whopping 62% of Australians support access to abortion services, and yet these attempts by far-right actors to restrict access put our rights at risk. 

Despite a vast majority supporting access to abortion services, this MAGA-inspired push to restrict abortion is gaining momentum on our shores.

If this worries you, join us!

Register your interest in the Rosie Collective and get to work with other like-minded feminists to increase access to abortion in Victoria.