Attitudes to abortion in Australia: 1972 to 2003

Since the October 2004 Federal election Australia has embarked on a new abortion debate. Some commentators suggest that public opinion has turned away from a pro-choice position. However the new 2003 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes shows this is not so: 81 per cent of Australians are pro-choice and only nine per cent are definitely anti-choice. This and other surveys show that the only strong constituencies for change are among some evangelical Christians and some Coalition candidates in Federal elections. Women of child-bearing age are overwhelmingly pro-choice.