Liberals match free abortion care state election pledge

Allanah Sciberras | October 15, 2026

Abortion care will be free in Victoria regardless of the outcome of the state election, with the coalition matching Labor’s healthcare pledge.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on Thursday backed a plan to remove out-of-pocket costs for abortion care, just hours it was unveiled by the Victorian government. 

Labor had earlier been accused of playing politics with women’s health care over the timing of the announcement.

Ms Wilson said an elected coalition government would match Labor’s commitment to cover out-pocket-costs for abortion care up to 16 weeks’ gestation.

“The Liberals and Nationals will not allow Labor to play politics on this issue,” she said in a statement supplied to AAP. 

“Labor has had 12 years to improve access to health care but are instead choosing to play politics.”

The Victorian government has promised to invest $30 million over four years to make access to abortion care free.

The move is designed to resolve a so-called “postcode lottery”, according to Health Minister Ingrid Stitt.

Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell said the policy had her full support, although it had come four years too late.

“We would have provided the numbers in parliament and in fact we asked them to do this many times and they didn’t,” she told ABC Radio.

“I do think they’re playing politics with women’s healthcare, which is sad.

“Women getting access to lifesaving healthcare should be above politics.”

The move comes as Labor continues to trail the coalition in the polls, with its primary vote remaining steady at 25 per cent, according to the latest Resolve Political Monitor, conducted in October and published by Nine newspapers.

Primary support for the coalition pushed up one point to 28 per cent and One Nation was steady at 23 per cent, with the Greens on 15 and independents on nine.

Labor defended the move, dodging questions on whether the announcement was politically charged.

“We are not playing politics with this at all,” Ms Stitt said.

“It’s not playing politics to strengthen women’s access to free choice.”

One Nation’s website says it would “reduce the gestational limit for abortions”. 

A spokesperson declined to comment further to AAP.

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell was grateful Labor finally acted, but echoed the Greens’ sentiment on its timing.

“Our bodies should not be on the ballot at all,” she said.

“The abortion accessibility crisis was not created by One Nation putting the entire right at risk. It was created by years of political inaction.”

Under Labor’s proposal, participating private providers would be paid to deliver medical and surgical abortion care when gestation is under 16 weeks.

The government says the plan will save women more than $1000, with no GP or specialist consultation fees and no medication costs at participating providers.

Parts of regional Victoria were “abortion deserts” with services not easily accessible, the government said.

Eligibility of the Victorian Patient Travel Assistance Scheme is also set to be expanded to cover care delivered by rural generalists who specialise in anaesthesia and obstetrics.

Labor will also regulate care across the state and extend the window for medical abortion to 10 weeks’ gestation.