August 16th, 2026Baby booties rally held outside Parliament as a Bill is introduced to protect newborns who survive abortion

More than 10,000 hand-knitted baby booties will be laid in the shape of a cross on the lawn at the front of Parliament House in Canberra on Monday (17 August 2026) as a Bill is introduced to protect babies born alive after abortion.
Nationals Member of Parliament Llew O’Brien is introducing the Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2026 which seeks to legally recognise babies who survive an abortion as legal persons and protect their human rights to receive medical care and treatment.
Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Pearse, said once born alive, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, all newborns should receive the same level of medical care and treatment.
“Whatever your view on abortion, access, or a woman’s right to choose, this is about post-birth protections and babies having the same entitlement to medical care, pain relief or palliative care as a baby born prematurely,” Mrs Pearse said.
“This is about legally recognising that each of these tiny humans is a person with human rights.”
Mr O’Brien said under the Bill a baby born alive during an abortion would be recognised as a legal person who is entitled to equal protection. Currently there is no clear Commonwealth-level provision for this.
“Every baby born alive deserves equal care and protection under the law,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This is about human rights, not the abortion debate. It upholds the dignity of newborn babies, strengthens public confidence in the health system, and will see Australia meet its international human rights obligations,” he said.
Every year a significant number of babies are born alive during an abortion. Some of these babies live for a number of hours outside the womb.
“Lives are literally being lost because the Federal Government has refused to pass laws to protect newborns,” Mrs Pearse said.
“These precious babies survive an abortion, only to be abandoned after birth,” she said.
Official records from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and state agencies indicate that approximately 150 babies nationally are born alive after an abortion each year. However, Mrs Pearse emphasised these numbers are likely being significantly underreported.
The Bill will also address the lack of a national reporting mechanism to ensure an accurate record of how many babies are born alive during an abortion; enabling informed policy development, and public accountability.
The ACL’s Baby Booties Campaign started in 2023 to raise awareness and influence national laws to provide greater protection for unborn babies.