SYDNEY — One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce addressed anti-abortion protesters outside New South Wales state parliament in Sydney on Tuesday night, urging them to campaign against sitting politicians who oppose a bill to ban sex-selective abortion. Joyce encouraged the crowd to use how-to-vote cards to pressure lawmakers, saying their electoral power could force change.
"You must keep that fire burning for those people who can’t stand up for themselves, and I call them people, they’re not foetuses. They are people," Joyce told the crowd. He added: "Politically, does this make you popular? Nup, nup. Probably lose half the votes every time you do it. But you know why you do it? Because it’s the right thing to do."
Joyce emphasized the vulnerability of elected officials, stating: "The one thing politicians fear is losing their job. They’re very mindful of that. What I see before me here is about 1,500 people who can hand out how-to-vote cards." His remarks came ahead of a scheduled debate on the bill in the NSW upper house on Wednesday, with a vote expected in coming days.
The rally was organized by Dr. Joanna Howe, who told attendees the proposed legislation—introduced by Libertarian upper house member John Ruddick—would ban only sex-selective abortion. She said the four Nationals members of the NSW upper house were the only people standing in the way of the bill being approved and warned: "If the Nats don’t pass this bill, then One Nation is going to take your seats. If you don’t vote for this bill, Barnaby’s coming for you." She also said: "We are so close to passing the first-ever pro-life bill through a house of parliament this country has ever seen."
Howe described the rally as her largest pro-life gathering yet and outlined plans for broader legislative efforts, saying: "Every year in this state, we will introduce a bill until we protect all the babies." She also said she intends to lobby for a ban on late-term abortions and organize grassroots campaigns in every Nationals-held seat ahead of the March 2027 state election, adding: "Because there will now be One Nation candidates in those seats, we know that we can unseat pro-abortion Labor people, pro-abortion Liberal people and pro-abortion Nationals."
A counter-protest of about 150 people assembled nearby in Martin Place. Independent lower house MP Alex Greenwich said the upcoming vote would be tight, worsened by the suspension of Labor minister Penny Sharpe. "Mark Latham and [Liberal] Damien Tudehope now control the upper house. As such, anything can happen," Greenwich said.