Gina Rushton

The procedure was decriminalised in Tasmania in 2013 but now its accessibility, particularly for poorer women, is being debated by state and federal politicians on both sides of the political spectrum, drawing in the federal health minister, as well as the prime minister.

In May 2016 Hyland also shut his Launceston clinic due to the decreased demand for surgical terminations and because of the additional costs of insurance, day surgery accreditation and compliance.

Federal health minister Greg Hunt echoed Ferguson that day in an interview with Sky News when he repeated that services had been “restored” in the state: “I can confirm that there are private services that will now be available.” But a week later Tasmanian woman and former government staffer Bianca* went to her GP where she returned a positive pregnancy blood test. Her story, in which she struggled to find anyone to do the procedure and ultimately spent more than $4,000 flying interstate, is proof that little has been done to address the situation.

Toby* had to wait in Tasmania with his kids while his partner flew to Melbourne for a termination. He describes the experience as "ridiculously stressful". "There is no circumstance where having an abortion is stress-free, but for us it meant at this really important time we were in different states and there was this ridiculous amount of logistical stress to have to go through," he told BuzzFeed News.

A former staffer to Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman spent weeks trying to access a termination before spending $4,500 to have the procedure interstate, a week after the premier promised his state that abortion was accessible.

"I know it is an issue of big concern here in Hobart but I think the minister and the State Government has been dealing with it." But Turnbull was asked about the closure of another centre, the state's main surgical abortion clinic, which could see Tasmanian women fly interstate for the procedure.

"I am incredibly disappointed that as it stands women will still have to fly interstate to access services," Labor's Michelle O'Byrne, who introduced the motion, told BuzzFeed News.

Angela Williamson had no intention of telling her parents about her abortion. "I'm 39 and I had to tell my mum and dad that I'd lost my job because I tweeted about accessing abortion," Williamson, who was sacked by Cricket Australia in late June for tweeting about the lack of abortion access in her state, told BuzzFeed News. "So then of course I had to explain to [my parents] about my own termination." Williamson flew to Victoria in February for the procedure which cost $4,500 for flights, acc