It is significant that the Queensland Parliament Health Committee inquiry unanimously recommended in its Report dated 26 August 2016 that the first Bill “not be passed”.

On 17 August, 2016 (before the Health Committee had handed down its report on his first Bill), Mr Pyne moved a second private member’s Bill, the Health (Abortion Law Reform) Amendment Bill 2016. This Bill sought to put some provisions into the Health Act to regulate abortion.

This Bill also was referred to the Health Committee for an inquiry, and the Report which was released on 17 February stated that “the committee was not able to reach agreement on whether or not the [second] Bill should be passed”.

In their Statement of Reservations at the back of the Report on the second Bill, the three LNP members of the committee said: “Has the legislation covering this very sensitive and emotional question been drafted in a manner that should be before a Parliament and is the process in which we are about to engage correct? We have a responsibility to pass clear and unambiguous legislation. We do not believe we are at that stage.”

Neither Pyne Bill was fit to be passed by Parliament, given the Health Committee rejected the first one unanimously and was deadlocked on the second one.