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March for the Babies 2026: Life, Law and the Victorian Election
This Saturday, 10 October, families will gather in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens for the 18th annual March for the Babies. A few weeks later, on 28 November, Victorians will vote in a state election. For many Christians, those two dates sit side by side: one is a public witness for unborn life, the other is a chance to shape the laws that govern it.
A recent commentary on The Daily Declaration by Gerardine Hansen invites readers to attend the march and to treat the coming election as a moment to “elect life.” This post looks at what the event is, how Victoria’s abortion law currently works, what the commentary argues, where people disagree, and how Christians can think about faith and voting in a way that is both firm and gracious.
It’s a deeply personal subject, and many readers, in the church and outside it, carry painful experiences connected to it. We’ve tried to write with that in mind.
What Is the March for the Babies?
The March for the Babies is an annual pro-life event in Melbourne. According to its organisers, it began in 2009 to mark the first anniversary of the passing of Victoria’s Abortion Law Reform Act in 2008. This year’s event is the 18th.
The details, as promoted by the organisers:
- Date: Saturday 10 October 2026
- Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- Location: Treasury Gardens, corner of Wellington Parade and Lansdowne Street, East Melbourne
- Cost: Free, with registration at marchforthebabies.com
It’s described as a peaceful, family-friendly gathering, with attendees invited to wear pink or blue, and signs and balloons provided. Speakers are listed from Pro-life Victoria, Right to Life Victoria, Church and State, and other groups, with Family First also taking part.
How Does Victoria’s Abortion Law Work?
Understanding the law is essential, since much of the debate turns on what it actually says.
Victoria decriminalised abortion in 2008 through the Abortion Law Reform Act. In summary:
- Up to 24 weeks: A woman can access abortion on request. The law places no further conditions on the decision.
- After 24 weeks: A medical practitioner can provide an abortion if they reasonably believe it is appropriate in all the circumstances, and they have consulted at least one other practitioner who agrees. Those circumstances include medical, physical, psychological and social considerations.
- Conscientious objection: Health practitioners who object must refer the woman to another provider who doesn’t.
- Safe access zones: Since 2015–16, a 150-metre zone around abortion providers restricts certain behaviours, including protest, intended to protect patients and staff.
- Public funding: Abortion services are available through the public health system, as they are in most Australian states.
The commentary says the law is among the most permissive in the developed world, because abortion remains legal up to birth for social and economic reasons. In the technical sense, the later-stage provision does allow for broad “social and psychological” circumstances, so it’s true that there is no fixed upper limit as long as the statutory conditions are met. Supporters of the law respond that late abortions are rare, that they are mostly sought for serious fetal abnormalities or threats to maternal health, and that doctors act under professional and ethical guidelines. Both observations are part of the real picture.
Other Australian states vary. Some, such as New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, set specific gestational limits with additional requirements after a certain number of weeks, often 22 or 23 weeks. Victoria’s 24-week threshold sits at the upper end.
The Global Picture
The commentary quotes figures from the World Health Organization that around 73 million induced abortions occur worldwide each year, and that roughly 29 per cent of all pregnancies end in abortion. Those figures match WHO’s published estimates, which come from modelled data covering the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s worth remembering how such statistics work. The numbers are estimates drawn from surveys and health records, and they vary by country, partly because laws and reporting systems differ. Whatever one’s view on the moral question, the scale is sobering, and it’s reasonable for people on both sides of the debate to ask what lies behind it, including poverty, relationship breakdown, lack of support, and fear.
What the Commentary Argues
Gerardine Hansen’s piece makes several main points:
- The march is a gathering of witness and hope. It’s described as both solemn, because every abortion represents a loss, and joyful, because it celebrates life and family.
- Victoria’s law is extreme and poorly understood. She argues that many people don’t realise how permissive the law is, and that publicly funded abortion is inappropriately described as “health care.”
- Babies born alive after attempted abortion need care. The commentary says that such babies have, in practice, been left without care, and points to NSW as having taken a small step in recognising that babies born alive need treatment. Supporters of current law say that infants born alive are already covered by general medical duty of care and by criminal law, and that cases are rare. Advocates of a specific Victorian law say that clear statutory protection is still needed. The question is contested and likely to be debated further.
- Culture is changing. She sees signs of renewal, including churches welcoming newcomers and a growing number of young men engaging in pro-life work.
- The election is an opportunity. She urges readers to talk about life at the election, to support pro-life candidates, and to pray.
The Victorian Election at a Glance
For readers who want to engage with the process, a few facts are worth knowing:
- Election day: Saturday 28 November 2026.
- What’s being elected: All 88 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 40 seats in the Legislative Council, forming Victoria’s 61st Parliament.
- Key dates: Writs are issued on 3 November (also the enrolment deadline); nominations open on 4 November and close on 9 November; early voting opens on 18 November.
- The parties: Labor, led by Premier Ben Carroll since July 2026, is seeking a fourth consecutive term. The Liberal–National Coalition is led by Jess Wilson, and the Greens by Ellen Sandell.
- Conscience votes: On matters like abortion, Victorian MPs have traditionally been given a conscience vote, rather than being bound by party lines. That makes individual candidates’ views especially significant.
The commentary points readers to VoteLife.com.au for information on candidates’ positions. Other organisations on different sides of the question also publish voter guides, and it’s good practice to look at the candidates’ own statements and voting records.
A Christian Framework for Thinking About Life
The Christian case for the dignity of unborn life rests on a cluster of biblical themes:
- Human beings are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).
- God knows and forms us before birth. Psalm 139:13–16 speaks of being knit together in the womb, and Jeremiah 1:5 records God saying he knew the prophet before he was formed.
- The vulnerable deserve defence. Proverbs 31:8–9, quoted in the commentary, calls us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. Psalm 82:3–4 and Isaiah 1:17 echo the same.
- The commandment against murder (Exodus 20:13) has historically been understood by most churches to protect unborn life.
Christians disagree about some details, such as how to interpret Exodus 21:22–25 or how to weigh hard cases. But a large majority of Christian traditions throughout history have held that deliberately ending unborn life is a grave wrong. That’s the foundation of the pro-life witness.
Equally important is what the same Scriptures say about how we treat people. Jesus extended grace to a woman caught in shame (John 8:1–11). Isaiah describes the Lord gently leading those with young (Isaiah 40:11). Micah 6:8 calls for justice, mercy and humility together. If our witness is strong on conviction but weak on compassion, it falls short of the biblical pattern.
Our Take
Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.
1. Conviction and compassion belong together.
It’s possible to hold a firm conviction that unborn children have worth, and to treat women facing unplanned pregnancies with respect and practical help. The most credible pro-life witness is one that also supports mothers: pregnancy support services, housing help, financial assistance, parenting groups, foster care and adoption. A march is a public statement. Casseroles, lifts to appointments and spare rooms are how that statement becomes real.
2. Many women making this decision are under enormous pressure.
Research and the testimony of those who work with women consistently highlight factors such as financial stress, unsafe or unsupportive relationships, fear of losing a job or education, and isolation. It’s fair to ask what a society that truly valued mothers and children would do about those pressures. A pro-life position that stops at the law, without addressing them, will struggle to persuade.
3. Facts matter, and so does tone.
Language like “Death Care” and “killing” expresses a sincere moral conviction, but it can also close ears. A person who has had an abortion, or who has supported a friend who did, may hear it as condemnation. We can state our convictions clearly and still choose words that leave the door open to conversation.
4. Voting is a moral act, and a complex one.
Christians genuinely differ on how to weigh issues at the ballot box. Some treat life as the foundational issue, because without life no other right can be exercised. Others weigh a wide range of concerns, including cost of living, housing, health care, education, poverty, climate, religious freedom and care for refugees, and see the pro-life question as one of several important priorities. The Bible doesn’t hand us a party ticket. The discipline is to think and pray carefully, look at candidates’ real records, and avoid assuming the worst of those who weigh things differently.
5. Ask candidates specific questions.
Rather than relying on slogans, voters can ask local candidates direct questions: What is your position on gestational limits? On babies born alive after a failed abortion? On conscientious objection and referral? On funding for pregnancy and parenting support? On the safe access zone laws? On palliative care and VAD? Their answers, and whether they answer at all, can be revealing.
6. Prayer is not a substitute for action, or the reverse.
The commentary ends with a call to pray, and it also invites people to turn up. Both matter. Christians have always believed that prayer and practical engagement go together, as in Jeremiah 29:7, where God’s people are told to seek the welfare of the city where they live.
The Other Side of the Argument
In fairness, here is how people who disagree would put their case:
- Bodily autonomy. Supporters of Victoria’s law argue that a woman has the right to make decisions about her own body and health, and that the state should not compel her to continue a pregnancy.
- Safety and access. Public health bodies, including the WHO, note that restrictive laws don’t reliably reduce abortion rates but can make abortion less safe. Supporters point to the harm caused by illegal abortion before reform.
- Rare and difficult cases. They argue that late abortions are uncommon and usually involve devastating diagnoses or serious risks to the mother, and that no law can anticipate every tragic situation.
- Public funding. They argue that abortion is a legal medical service, and that excluding it from public hospitals would disadvantage poorer women and those in rural areas.
- Safe access zones. They argue these protect patients and staff from harassment at a vulnerable moment. (The High Court has upheld similar laws in Australia.)
- Concerns about tone. Some critics, including some Christians, worry that public protests and strongly worded slogans can alienate people and make women feel judged.
- Different priorities. Some Christians who hold pro-life convictions personally believe that law is not the best tool, or that other issues deserve equal weight when voting.
Those who support the march have their own responses, including that the unborn child’s moral status is the central question and that the law should protect the weakest. A thoughtful reader can understand the force of each view without needing to agree with every point.
If You Are Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy
If you, or someone you love, is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, you don’t have to work it out alone. In Australia, the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline offers free, confidential information and support on 1800 882 436. Lifeline is available any time on 13 11 14 if you’re overwhelmed, and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) can help if you are experiencing violence or coercion. Local churches, doctors and community services can also provide practical support.
If you carry grief or regret over a past abortion, there is care for you as well. Many churches and counselling services offer gentle, non-judgmental support, and Scripture is clear that God’s mercy is available to everyone who seeks him (1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12).
What You Can Do This Month
- Attend the march on 10 October if you share its convictions, and take family or friends.
- Learn the law by reading the Abortion Law Reform Act and recent proposals, rather than relying on summaries from either side.
- Talk to candidates in your electorate and ask specific questions.
- Support practical care for mothers and children, whether through a pregnancy support centre, foster care, adoption services or a local church.
- Pray for women facing hard decisions, for those who work with them, for Victoria’s leaders, and for a culture that welcomes and protects life.
- Listen to people who disagree with you and try to understand why.
Questions to Reflect On
- What do I actually believe about the value of unborn life, and what is that based on?
- Do I know what Victoria’s current law says, or only what I’ve been told about it?
- How would a woman in a crisis pregnancy experience my church?
- What would it cost me to offer real help to a mother or a child in need?
- How do I weigh the different issues that matter to me when I vote?
A Short Prayer
Lord, you are the author of life and the friend of the vulnerable. We pray for every child waiting to be born, and for every mother and father facing fear and uncertainty. Give your church compassion that matches its convictions. Give wisdom to those who write and vote on our laws, and courage to speak with both truth and love. Heal those who carry grief, and surround Victoria with your mercy as we approach this election. Amen.
