Responding to the government's women's health announcement on Sunday morning, Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters said:
"The Greens-initiated Senate inquiries and the persistent pressure from women across Australia have finally led to this much-needed announcement.
"It's long overdue, but it's great that Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) will be halved in price.
"However, the Greens' policy was always to make it free, much like other progressive countries such as France and the UK, which have set the standard.
"It's welcome news that more modern contraceptive pills are finally being added to the PBS, but the Greens' policy aimed to make all contraceptives completely free, removing the financial burden for women.
"If the Greens can work with Labor in a minority government after the election, we will deliver critical progress for women's healthcare.
"However, it's disappointing that there's still no action on surgical abortion access. Where is the 2019 policy that demanded hospitals provide abortions as a condition of receiving Commonwealth funding? The Greens will continue pushing for comprehensive healthcare access for women.
"A Dutton minority government could set us back to the dark ages, bringing with it the potential for Trump-style restrictions on reproductive rights here in Australia. Women's healthcare must always be a priority, and the Greens will keep fighting for it."
