Pregnant women should be given financial incentives to encourage them to choose adoption over termination, a Tasmanian MP says.
It is part of a push to increase the number of babies available for adoption.
Independent legislative councillor Adriana Taylor, who has two adopted sons, wants to set up a parliamentary inquiry into low adoption rates in Tasmania.
She said her push for the inquiry was prompted by the number of Tasmanians pursuing surrogacy because there were no babies available for local adoption.
Of the 13 adoptions in Tasmania in 2012-13, only two involved babies offered locally.
Others were international adoptions, or children who were known to the adoptive parent.
Ms Taylor believes a compensation scheme could decrease abortion numbers in the state.
Under the plan, women considering a termination could be compensated for lost income and medical expenses if they opted to instead offer their baby up for adoption.
Ms Taylor said pregnant women who gave up their child for adoption should be entitled to the same support as altruistic surrogate mothers.
“There might well be a number of women that would choose to carry the child and have it adopted, which would be good for the child and also good for the adoptive parents who are looking to start families,” she said.
“We were told that there were about 30,000 abortions in Australia and 1,800 in Tasmania and that there are no babies available for adoption.
“There might be at least some of those babies who are aborted being carried full term and going to families who really, really want children.”
Ms Taylor said it would not be the same as commercial surrogacy.
“We’re not going to allow the woman to be paid to have the child. It’s making it possible, I suppose.”
It is proposed that the fees would be paid by the adoptive parents.
The parliamentary committee is expected to be established tomorrow and will call for submissions.