One Nation senator Barnaby Joyce addressed a pro‑life rally in Sydney, urging the NSW Nationals to support a bill banning sex‑selective abortions and warning of One Nation candidates in future elections if the legislation is blocked.
Barnaby Joyce , the One Nation senator who has become a vocal figure in the anti‑abortion movement, joined a large rally in Sydney on Tuesday night to pressure the New South Wales Nationals into supporting a bill that would criminalise abortions performed for the purpose of sex selection.
The event, held outside the NSW Parliament, was organised by pro‑life activist Dr Joanna Howe and attracted roughly 1,500 supporters, many of whom handed out "how‑to‑vote" cards to usher in a new wave of anti‑abortion legislation. Joyce opened the gathering with a strongly worded appeal to the crowd, insisting that fetuses are "people" and urging activists to keep their fire burning for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
He acknowledged that taking a hard‑line stance on the issue could cost politicians votes, but argued that the moral imperative outweighed any electoral risk.
"Politically, does this make you popular? No. 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," he declared.
Joyce also warned that politicians fear losing their jobs, and he urged the crowd to make sure their voices were heard at the ballot box, promising that One Nation would field candidates in electorates where the Nationals fail to support the bill. The legislation in question was introduced by John Ruddick, a Libertarian member of the NSW Legislative Council, and seeks to ban abortions carried out solely for the purpose of selecting a child's sex.
Dr Howe told the assembled crowd that the four Nationals members of the upper house were the only obstacles remaining to the bill's passage, though it would still require approval from the lower house to become law. She framed the bill as the first step in a broader, long‑term campaign to protect unborn life, saying that One Nation would continue to introduce similar measures in future sessions until "all the babies" are protected.
Howe also hinted at a strategic plan to contest every Nationals‑held seat in the upcoming state election scheduled for March 2027, arguing that One Nation candidates could unseat sitting members from Labor, the Liberals, and the Nationals who support abortion rights. The rally featured speakers standing beside a hand‑painted truck displaying images of two foetuses labeled "Emma" and "Ruth," symbols intended to humanise the unborn and galvanise the audience.
A counter‑demonstration of roughly 150 people gathered nearby in Martin Place, where a University of Sydney student named Lucy, originally from the United States, warned that similar sex‑selective abortion bans have already been enacted in eight Australian states. She linked the movement to the erosion of abortion rights in the United States following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, describing a gradual process of legislative attacks that culminated in the loss of bodily autonomy.
Lucy's remarks underscored the broader concerns of pro‑choice advocates who fear that the NSW bill could set a precedent for further restrictions on reproductive freedom. The bill is slated for debate in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, with a final vote expected in the coming days before it proceeds to the lower house.
Neither chamber currently holds a clear majority, and members of Labor, the Liberals and the Nationals have been granted conscience votes on the issue, meaning they can vote according to their personal convictions rather than party lines. The outcome of this debate will determine whether NSW becomes the first Australian jurisdiction to pass a law explicitly banning sex‑selective abortions, potentially opening the door to more extensive anti‑abortion legislation across the country
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