In a shocking and courageous testimony delivered yesterday before the Queensland Parliament’s Health and Environment Committee, clinical midwife Louise Adsett blew the whistle on the dark and disturbing realities of the abortion industry.
Lifting the lid on practices that have long been hidden from public view, Adsett revealed how perfectly viable babies, born alive after abortions, are left to die in silence and neglect, without receiving the medical care that should be their basic human right.
Her testimony, delivered as part of an inquiry into the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024—an initiative of Katter Party leader Robbie Katter —exposed the brutal and dehumanising conditions these newborns face.
If this doesn’t cause Labor and the Liberal National Party (LNP) to confront the consequences of their policies on abortion, nothing will.
Adsett, a midwife with 14 years of experience, described in heartbreaking detail the plight of these babies—some of whom survive for hours after birth, only to be abandoned in "witch’s hats" or kidney dishes, where they take their final breaths alone.
"These babies deserve better," she declared, underscoring the urgent need for change.
Her testimony not only calls into question the morality of current abortion laws but also the very humanity of a society that permits such atrocities to continue unchecked.
The testimony was delivered during a Queensland Parliamentary inquiry into the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024, which seeks to enshrine protections for babies born alive following an abortion, ensuring they receive the same medical care as any other newborn.
As Adsett's testimony made clear, these are not isolated incidents but rather the result of a broader systemic failure.
She recounted one case where a baby boy, born alive at 21 weeks, fought for five hours before succumbing, with no attempt made to save him.
In another instance, a baby was left to die in a "dirty pan room" because the hospital was understaffed and the mother declined to hold her child.
These stories are a searing indictment of the current laws and our society’s indifference to the most vulnerable amongst us.
Both the Labor Party, which supports abortion-to-birth, and the LNP under David Crisafulli, who has pledged "no change" to abortion laws, must urgently reconsider their positions.
The testimony presented yesterday should serve as a wake-up call.
These babies, who fight so desperately for life, deserve the protection and care that any human being is entitled to.
The Labor Party's stance, which endorses abortion up to the moment of birth, and the LNP's refusal to act, are both untenable in the face of the suffering these children endure.
Robbie Katter's Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024 is a critical first step, but it must be followed by comprehensive reform.
Our society's commitment to human rights must extend to these most vulnerable lives. The time has come for both Labor and the LNP to stand up for life, to protect the dignity of the unborn, and to ensure that every baby born in Australia receives the care and respect they deserve.
It is why Family First is running candidates at the up-coming Queensland election.
The Australian reported:
Ms Adsett was asked by the Queensland director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Rob Norman, to appear at the inquiry after she made contact with the group more than six months ago to raise awareness of the issue of babies born alive after abortions. She holds no formal staff position with the ACL, but has recently undertaken some volunteer work for it.
Well done to Rob Norman, ACL and of course Louise Adsett for bringing this to the light.
It is understood health officials following Adsett tried to say the babies were not really born alive, they were dead but just "twitching".
Nothing to see hear.
Barbarians.