Minns says Howe has spread 'enormous amounts of misinformation' on abortion bill

NSW Premier Chris Minns speaks to the media on the abortion debate and Joanna Howe's stance. Video via AAP

Transcript

00:00There's enormous amounts of misinformation and lies that have been spread by her on social media

00:05and it's whipped up a lot of good people in the community believing that the reform changes,

00:10the legislative changes, are far more extensive than they in fact were.

00:14And I had a lot of constituents in my community coming and saying,

00:18for example, the vision that has remained for nurse practitioners to be able to distribute meditation

00:23in line with TGA guidelines.

00:25The rumour that was circulating, and I'm not saying it was necessarily spread by this act that was certainly going around the community,

00:33was that they would be compelled to do it and if they didn't do it, then their licence would be yanked

00:38and the conscientious objection did not apply.

00:41And that's clearly incorrect.

00:42And I think that there are genuine differences, particularly when you have a matter as sensitive as abortion.

00:48It's not helped by putting enormous amounts of misinformation into the debate.

00:53So, as for threatening politicians about what will or won't do, well, that's a matter for activists,

00:59but generally speaking, Australian politicians, regardless of their background or ideology,

01:04react incredibly poorly to that kind of threat.

01:07And my experience, particularly in functions, and this doesn't just apply to the Labour Party,

01:12is that people come to these issues and make a genuine dispute about what's in the message of their community

01:17and make the call, and they'll usually resist that kind of bullying.