Key facts
- Victorian Labor pledged $30 million over four years to make abortion care free.
- The plan covers medical and surgical abortions up to 16 weeks' gestation.
- Regional travel subsidies will be provided.
- Access to medical abortion will be extended to 10 weeks' gestation.
Victorian Labor has announced a $30 million plan to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion care if the party is re-elected in November. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt stated that private providers would be paid to deliver medical and surgical abortions up to 16 weeks' gestation, removing costs for consultations, tests, and medication. Subsidies will also be offered to regional patients requiring travel. The policy extends access to medical abortion from nine to 10 weeks and includes a review for further extension. Experts and crossbench MPs have welcomed the move, noting it aligns Victoria with other jurisdictions and addresses long-standing advocacy for improved access. The timing of the announcement, however, is widely seen as political, with Labor aiming to counter potential threats to abortion access from a Liberal-One Nation coalition.