In the days following her pregnancy announcement, Victorian MP Georgie Purcell was bombarded with online vitriol from anti-choice activists who criticised her for the abortions she had in the past.
Speaking in the Victorian parliament on Thursday, Purcell said abortion would always be part of her journey into motherhood and she doesn’t shy away from that.
“When I made this deeply personal announcement, I spoke of how this pregnancy has only solidified my belief in reproductive choice,” the Animal Justice Party MP told parliament.
“Many will know that this isn’t my first pregnancy, but it is the first that I have decided to proceed with.”
“I feel more grateful than ever before that I had access to options to allow myself to make this decision on my own terms, at a time that I felt I was mentally and physically able to. I owe an explanation on these decisions to precisely nobody, but it seems nothing is off limits to anti-choicers.”
Purcell went on to explain some of the attacks she has received online since revealing her pregnancy.
“Within a day of this announcement, they got busy online, using CapCut and Canva, making content, saying things like ‘Georgie Purcell only cares about her babies when it’s convenient’. ‘Georgie wants this baby girl, so she’ll let her live’. ‘Georgie Purcell is incredibly twisted to celebrate the baby you killed in your prior abortion’.
“And to them, I say this: being in public life does not make me public property. My body and the choices I have made with it in the past are not a possession for you to advance your harmful, shameful and dangerous political agendas.”
It comes after Purcell confirmed on Sunday she was expecting a baby girl with her partner, federal Labor MP Josh Burns. The baby is due early in 2026.
“As I prepare for motherhood (beyond cats, dogs, horses and sheep), I carry with me the stories of my abortions. They are not only part of my advocacy as a politician, but also part of who I am,” she wrote in her announcement post on Instagram.
Speaking in parliament, Purcell spoke directly to those who had attacked her online, saying it only renewed her passion for reprodcutive rights.
“So to those anti-choice, and frankly anti-women activists: thank you for reminding me that I will never stop using my platform to ensure that my daughter grows up in the state where she will always have a right to choose,” Purcell concluded.