There’s one sure way to bring down abortion rates, and it’s not up to women

September 19, 2026 — 5:00am

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Earlier this year, Senator Jane Hume pointed out what she correctly called a “strange anomaly” in the gyms in Parliament House – condoms were provided in the women’s bathrooms, but not the men’s. The faces of the public servants opposite her at Senate estimates were portraits of bafflement.

Nicola Hinder, chief operating officer of Parliamentary Services, jumped in with a rallying cry: “Senator, I believe it is absolutely wonderful women are taking care of their own sexual health!”

Hume asked: “I just wonder why men aren’t taking responsibility as well?”

It’s so telling, that in the building where important decisions are made about our health, our bodies, that it was somehow assumed that even male contraception was the responsibility of women.

It reminded me of Gabrielle Blair’s excellent book called Ejaculate Responsibly, in which she argues that blokes, who can get someone pregnant at any time with around the clock fertility, and have cheap prophylactics they can buy in supermarkets and convenience stories – unlike women, who need prescriptions and doctors’ appointments – should be the ones shouldering responsibility for unwanted pregnancies.

Which brings me to One Nation. I appreciate it is somewhat chaotically developing, honing – and even backtracking – policy on the run, but its desire to ignite debate about abortion in this country seems misguided, misinformed, futile. And often conflicting.

Pauline Hanson has said she is not opposed to first-trimester terminations. But this week at a rally, One Nation’s new NSW........

© The Age