'Regardless of postcode': abortion access laws debated
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate.
An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW.
It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.
Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024.
Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says.
The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance".
Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation.
Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services.
"Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said.
"We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode."
The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote.
Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house.
Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft.
Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many".
Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access".
"This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday.
She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney.
Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied.
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals.
"We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said.
"Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource."
The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt".
It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals.
Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience".
The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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Friday's protest in Belmore was opposite a mosque but it was not the target of demonstrators. Police have denied the laws were relied upon in the arrest. Doctor Mitch Hickson said Ms Thomas' injuries were "medically significant" and "ethically indefensible". "Facial trauma of the kind she has experienced - requiring surgery and with the potential for permanent vision loss - should never be the outcome of lawful protest activity and reveals a disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police," he said. ""A democracy cannot function where lawful protest is met with force, where questions are answered with violence, and where power is exercised without accountability." The open letter calls for an independent investigation into the policing of the Belmore protest and urgent amendments to the places of worship protest laws. Signatories include Amnesty International Australia, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Jewish Council of Australia. Pro-democracy groups say controversial laws granting police powers to move protesters on from places of worship have emboldened the force to "act with impunity". Days after the violent arrest of one-time federal Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, advocates have written an open letter to NSW Premier Chris Minns with concerns about a "criminalisation and police powers creep". Ms Thomas, who was among five people arrested in Sydney on Friday outside an Australian firm reportedly linked to the manufacture of components for Israeli Defence Force fighter jets, was hospitalised and could suffer permanent vision loss. The arrests will be investigated by police officers from another command, with internal review by professional standards and external oversight from police watchdog the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. Australian Democracy Network protest rights campaigner Anastasia Radievska said the incident showed the 'places of worship' laws had given police extra impetus to violently shut down protests. The laws were introduced by the state Labor government after a spate of anti-Semitic attacks across the country, with the stated intention of protecting people being targeted by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship. "The passage of the places of worship anti-protest legislation has emboldened the NSW Police to act with impunity in shutting down protests when they're merely occurring near a place of worship," Ms Radievska said. "The place of worship move-on powers are not fit for purpose, and they must be immediately repealed before more protesters are subject to reckless police action … participating in protest cannot be an invitation to assault and serious injury from police." Friday's protest in Belmore was opposite a mosque but it was not the target of demonstrators. Police have denied the laws were relied upon in the arrest. Doctor Mitch Hickson said Ms Thomas' injuries were "medically significant" and "ethically indefensible". "Facial trauma of the kind she has experienced - requiring surgery and with the potential for permanent vision loss - should never be the outcome of lawful protest activity and reveals a disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police," he said. ""A democracy cannot function where lawful protest is met with force, where questions are answered with violence, and where power is exercised without accountability." The open letter calls for an independent investigation into the policing of the Belmore protest and urgent amendments to the places of worship protest laws. Signatories include Amnesty International Australia, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Jewish Council of Australia. 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Friday's protest in Belmore was opposite a mosque but it was not the target of demonstrators. Police have denied the laws were relied upon in the arrest. Doctor Mitch Hickson said Ms Thomas' injuries were "medically significant" and "ethically indefensible". "Facial trauma of the kind she has experienced - requiring surgery and with the potential for permanent vision loss - should never be the outcome of lawful protest activity and reveals a disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police," he said. ""A democracy cannot function where lawful protest is met with force, where questions are answered with violence, and where power is exercised without accountability." The open letter calls for an independent investigation into the policing of the Belmore protest and urgent amendments to the places of worship protest laws. Signatories include Amnesty International Australia, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Jewish Council of Australia. 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Friday's protest in Belmore was opposite a mosque but it was not the target of demonstrators. Police have denied the laws were relied upon in the arrest. Doctor Mitch Hickson said Ms Thomas' injuries were "medically significant" and "ethically indefensible". "Facial trauma of the kind she has experienced - requiring surgery and with the potential for permanent vision loss - should never be the outcome of lawful protest activity and reveals a disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police," he said. ""A democracy cannot function where lawful protest is met with force, where questions are answered with violence, and where power is exercised without accountability." The open letter calls for an independent investigation into the policing of the Belmore protest and urgent amendments to the places of worship protest laws. Signatories include Amnesty International Australia, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Jewish Council of Australia.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
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Axed duo back in Biennale after 'avoidable' arts crisis
An axed duo have been reinstated as Australia's picks for a major international exhibition after a review found the nation's arts body should have been better prepared for an inevitably controversial decision. In a statement on Wednesday, artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino said they had accepted an invitation to once again represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale after being uninvited in February. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship." The pair's invitation was rescinded when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament. National arts funding and advisory body Creative Australia cancelled their invitation on the grounds their selection would cause prolonged and divisive debate, and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, called for the pair to be reinstated. They again accepted the invitation to represent the nation following an external review of Creative Australia's decision-making. Missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities - although no single predominant failure - were identified in the review. "It was a complex series of events that created a unique set of circumstances which the board had to address," Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said in a statement. The review noted a "broader, fraught environment" surrounding the decision-making meant the agency was not as well-prepared as it needed to be. A series of recommendations for better risk-identification procedures and crisis management were included, but the review noted the agency faced a considerable task to rebuild trust. "If there is a dominant theme in the findings of this report, it is that much pain, anger, damage and anxiety could have been avoided if Creative Australia had been appropriately prepared for what, inevitably, was going to be a controversial decision," the report said. Arts Minister Tony Burke said he still had confidence in the Creative Australia board and politicians should not be in charge of its decisions. "These are arms-length decisions," he told ABC TV. "When they made the decision to appoint, I said I supported it, when they made the decision to terminate, I said I'd support that." But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the agency's leadership needed a "clean out". "This is the right end to a very sorry saga but it's a terrible day for the board and CEO of Creative Australia who have disgraced themselves throughout this ordeal," she said. Coalition arts spokesman Julian Leeser criticised the duo's reinstatement. "This has been a deeply flawed process from the beginning and has now led to a ridiculous outcome," he said. "It diminishes the power of Australian art as a tool of soft diplomacy." An axed duo have been reinstated as Australia's picks for a major international exhibition after a review found the nation's arts body should have been better prepared for an inevitably controversial decision. In a statement on Wednesday, artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino said they had accepted an invitation to once again represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale after being uninvited in February. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship." The pair's invitation was rescinded when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament. National arts funding and advisory body Creative Australia cancelled their invitation on the grounds their selection would cause prolonged and divisive debate, and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, called for the pair to be reinstated. They again accepted the invitation to represent the nation following an external review of Creative Australia's decision-making. Missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities - although no single predominant failure - were identified in the review. "It was a complex series of events that created a unique set of circumstances which the board had to address," Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said in a statement. The review noted a "broader, fraught environment" surrounding the decision-making meant the agency was not as well-prepared as it needed to be. A series of recommendations for better risk-identification procedures and crisis management were included, but the review noted the agency faced a considerable task to rebuild trust. "If there is a dominant theme in the findings of this report, it is that much pain, anger, damage and anxiety could have been avoided if Creative Australia had been appropriately prepared for what, inevitably, was going to be a controversial decision," the report said. Arts Minister Tony Burke said he still had confidence in the Creative Australia board and politicians should not be in charge of its decisions. "These are arms-length decisions," he told ABC TV. "When they made the decision to appoint, I said I supported it, when they made the decision to terminate, I said I'd support that." But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the agency's leadership needed a "clean out". "This is the right end to a very sorry saga but it's a terrible day for the board and CEO of Creative Australia who have disgraced themselves throughout this ordeal," she said. Coalition arts spokesman Julian Leeser criticised the duo's reinstatement. "This has been a deeply flawed process from the beginning and has now led to a ridiculous outcome," he said. "It diminishes the power of Australian art as a tool of soft diplomacy." An axed duo have been reinstated as Australia's picks for a major international exhibition after a review found the nation's arts body should have been better prepared for an inevitably controversial decision. In a statement on Wednesday, artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino said they had accepted an invitation to once again represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale after being uninvited in February. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship." The pair's invitation was rescinded when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament. National arts funding and advisory body Creative Australia cancelled their invitation on the grounds their selection would cause prolonged and divisive debate, and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, called for the pair to be reinstated. They again accepted the invitation to represent the nation following an external review of Creative Australia's decision-making. Missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities - although no single predominant failure - were identified in the review. "It was a complex series of events that created a unique set of circumstances which the board had to address," Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said in a statement. The review noted a "broader, fraught environment" surrounding the decision-making meant the agency was not as well-prepared as it needed to be. A series of recommendations for better risk-identification procedures and crisis management were included, but the review noted the agency faced a considerable task to rebuild trust. "If there is a dominant theme in the findings of this report, it is that much pain, anger, damage and anxiety could have been avoided if Creative Australia had been appropriately prepared for what, inevitably, was going to be a controversial decision," the report said. Arts Minister Tony Burke said he still had confidence in the Creative Australia board and politicians should not be in charge of its decisions. "These are arms-length decisions," he told ABC TV. "When they made the decision to appoint, I said I supported it, when they made the decision to terminate, I said I'd support that." But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the agency's leadership needed a "clean out". "This is the right end to a very sorry saga but it's a terrible day for the board and CEO of Creative Australia who have disgraced themselves throughout this ordeal," she said. Coalition arts spokesman Julian Leeser criticised the duo's reinstatement. "This has been a deeply flawed process from the beginning and has now led to a ridiculous outcome," he said. "It diminishes the power of Australian art as a tool of soft diplomacy." An axed duo have been reinstated as Australia's picks for a major international exhibition after a review found the nation's arts body should have been better prepared for an inevitably controversial decision. In a statement on Wednesday, artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino said they had accepted an invitation to once again represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale after being uninvited in February. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship." The pair's invitation was rescinded when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament. National arts funding and advisory body Creative Australia cancelled their invitation on the grounds their selection would cause prolonged and divisive debate, and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, called for the pair to be reinstated. They again accepted the invitation to represent the nation following an external review of Creative Australia's decision-making. Missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities - although no single predominant failure - were identified in the review. "It was a complex series of events that created a unique set of circumstances which the board had to address," Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said in a statement. The review noted a "broader, fraught environment" surrounding the decision-making meant the agency was not as well-prepared as it needed to be. A series of recommendations for better risk-identification procedures and crisis management were included, but the review noted the agency faced a considerable task to rebuild trust. "If there is a dominant theme in the findings of this report, it is that much pain, anger, damage and anxiety could have been avoided if Creative Australia had been appropriately prepared for what, inevitably, was going to be a controversial decision," the report said. Arts Minister Tony Burke said he still had confidence in the Creative Australia board and politicians should not be in charge of its decisions. "These are arms-length decisions," he told ABC TV. "When they made the decision to appoint, I said I supported it, when they made the decision to terminate, I said I'd support that." But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the agency's leadership needed a "clean out". "This is the right end to a very sorry saga but it's a terrible day for the board and CEO of Creative Australia who have disgraced themselves throughout this ordeal," she said. Coalition arts spokesman Julian Leeser criticised the duo's reinstatement. "This has been a deeply flawed process from the beginning and has now led to a ridiculous outcome," he said. "It diminishes the power of Australian art as a tool of soft diplomacy."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Axed duo reinstated in Venice Biennale backflip
An axed duo have been reinstated as Australia's representatives at a major international exhibition after the nation's arts funding body backflipped on its controversial decision. In a statement on Wednesday, artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino said they had accepted an invitation to once again represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale after being uninvited in February. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship." The pair's invitation was rescinded when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament. The arts funding and advisory body, Creative Australia, cancelled their invitation on the grounds their selection would cause a prolonged and divisive debate and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, called for Sabsabi and Dagostino to be reinstated. The pair again accepted the invitation to represent the nation following an external review of Creative Australia's earlier decision. Missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities - although no single predominant failure - were identified in the review. "It was a complex series of events that created a unique set of circumstances which the board had to address," Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said in a statement. Arts Minister Tony Burke said he still had confidence in the Creative Australia board and politicians should not be in charge of the agency's decisions. "These are arms-length decisions," he told ABC TV. "When they made the decision to appoint, I said I supported it, when they made the decision to terminate, I said I'd support that." But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the board needed a "clean out" after causing an international embarrassment for Australia. "People need to be held to account for this," she said.
