I make a brief contribution to debate on the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025. In August 2017, and again in August 2019, I said in this place, and I say it again today, that for too many years we have been fighting for women's reproductive rights and autonomy, and for access to those rights in both the public and private spheres. Again, I note the work of feminists before us in this place, especially those in the Women's Abortion Action Campaign. Established in 1972, the objectives of the campaign were to establish abortion as a woman's right to choose; the repeal of all abortion laws; free, safe abortions; free, safe contraception; no forced sterilisations; and access.

I believe a woman is best placed to decide what is best for her. She knows the circumstances around a pregnancy and understands what she needs. She is the one who best knows her capacity to parent and her personal circumstances. It is the woman who should choose to continue or to terminate a pregnancy. That does not make it an easy decision, and many women in that situation will need a lot of support to make the best decision for them. I am proudly pro-choice, I am a feminist and I am in this Parliament to advance the cause of women. I acknowledge the about 80 emails I received from people in my electorate, encouraging me to vote against this bill. I said to those people:

"Thank you for taking the time to write and share your concerns and views regarding the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 introduced by The Greens Party.

I appreciate hearing from you and understand how important this issue is to you.

Please know that I am a strong advocate for the health and well-being of women; and steadfastly believe in a woman's right to choose—to make autonomous decisions regarding her own body and reproductive functions. Furthermore, I understand that the intent of the Bill (introduced by Dr Cohn of The Greens Party) is to address barriers to abortion care—to enable affordable and safe access—particularly for those in regional, rural and remote parts of NSW.

In 2019 I proudly played a key role in the decriminalisation of abortion, as a co-sponsor of the NSW Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill—which successfully became law—"

and needed to become law. My email continued:

"It is also important to note that I value the feedback from all Blue Mountains constituents on all proposed legislation. Rest assured, your thoughts and concerns have been carefully noted and will form part of my deliberations prior to the debate of this Amendment Bill."

Some important amendments have been made. It is commonly understood in women's politics that the "pro-life" label is shorthand for anti-choice. Long ago, fundamentalist Christian organisations co-opted the label, and they are well known for being steadfastly anti‑abortion and anti-choice in all circumstances. I strongly believe that people should be careful about using the term "pro-life", because its meaning is immediately interpreted to be a description of someone who believes they have the right to make other people's choices for them.

As I speak, someone near a clinic or in a GP's office somewhere, or someone by themselves in rural New South Wales, is seeking information and medical advice about a termination, which is never an easy decision. In most circumstances, there will be a loud and invasive group of people waving placards and hurling abuse, all the while describing themselves as "pro-life". However, they are being anti-choice and judgemental. As a member and former State convener of EMILY's List, a very proud member of the Labor Party and a feminist here to advance the rights of women, I support a woman's right to choose and I support a woman's right to access a safe, free and legal termination.

I acknowledge those who work and advocate in this space. It is not an easy place to work, and some people have done it for decades. I make particular mention of my friend and colleague Claire Pullen who, as chair of Our Bodies Our Choices, has been a guiding light in articulating the many reasons that women need to access abortion services. People who live in areas outside metropolitan Sydney have difficulty accessing many types of health care. As a member of the Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health, I have witnessed while travelling around New South Wales that people who live outside Sydney have difficulty accessing many healthcare services. For the purposes of this bill, I say that pregnant women still face too many barriers to accessing abortion and reproductive health care, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas. No-one should be able to deny care to a patient seeking medical assistance because of their personal beliefs or where they live. We cannot allow individuals to exercise an effective veto over someone else's medical decisions. If someone objects to performing abortion or making contraception available, that is their right.

But we cannot allow them to deny that treatment to someone who knows what they want or who may have already experienced what they may see as a betrayal by the person who is refusing them care. I support the bill, after some important amendments passed in the other place. I support nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives—highly trained, skilled and professional workers—being able to perform terminations to expand access for women. Again, I support a woman's right to access a pregnancy termination. The bill will assist in offering that access.