NSW Liberal MP References Nazis During Abortion Bill Debate
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A New South Wales Liberal has been slammed after referencing the Nazis’ genocide of Jews during a parliamentary debate about reproductive rights.
The bill, introduced by Upper house Greens MP Dr Amanda Cohn, would see an amendment to the state’s abortion laws, allowing nurses and midwives to prescribe medical terminations up to nine weeks.
Although abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, only 3 of the state’s 220 public hospitals are consistently and openly providing abortion services, leading to so-called “abortion deserts“. The expansion of providers would help combat some of these access barriers.
Labor and Coalition MPs have been allowed a conscious vote on the amendment.
Speaking against the bill, Liberal MP Chris Rath told parliament that “no person should have the power to determine what constitutes a valuable life”, before saying past attempts had led to “some of the greatest atrocities known”.
“We need only to think of the historical prevalence of killing civilians en masse in warfare, the use of life-threatening shock therapies on the disabled if they were not murdered at a young age,” he said.
“Perhaps worst of all, the Nazis leading an entire people to believe that Jews were subhuman, worth less as a human being than you or I.”
Independent MP Alex Greenwich, condemned the Liberal MP for the “heartless” comments, saying they were “ignortant to the healthcare needs of women.”
“Chris Rath believes in government so small, it fits into a woman’s body.”
In a statement issued after the incident, Rath said: “There was no intention on my part to draw any comparison [with Nazis]. I regret and apologise for the insensitive language that was used.”
Thousands rally outside parliament before debate
Meanwhile, thousands rallied against the bill outside parliament, shutting down Macquarie Street in the process.
Bus loads of protesters travelled to Sydney for the event, including Archbishop Anthony Fisher and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Speaking to the crowd, Abbott shared that he deeply regretted the “tens of thousands of abortions every year in this country” that “shouldn’t be.”
“I am here to talk about freedom of conscience because [this] should be at the heart of any decent, civilised society and this legislation which is about to be rammed through the state parliament is a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience,” he said.
“This is an attempt to cancel conscientious healthcare professionals. It’s an attempt to drive good Christian people, and good Muslim people and Jewish people out of our health system. It’s designed to drive institutions of principle and faith out of our system.”
They were met by counter protesters, chanting the phrase “not the church, not the state, only we decide our fate” in support of Cohn’s bill.
“Our community showed up with fire—driven by purpose, fury, and unwavering commitment,” said attendee Harpreet Dhillon.
“It was the energy of the crowd that grounded us—what followed was a never-ending open mic and powerful displays of courage, standing tall against the police and the system that continues to fail us.
“Our purpose and dedication were clear. None of us wanted to leave until every single one of us was safe.”
The bill passed the upper house at 11:30 on Thursday night, and will be debated in the lower house next week.
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