South Australia Abortion Bill Defeated in Upper House Vote
A proposed change to South Australia’s abortion laws, aiming to limit terminations after 23 weeks, was rejected by the state parliament’s Upper House on Wednesday evening. The vote concluded with 11 members opposing the bill and 8 in favor, effectively halting the legislative push.
The bill, initially brought forward in september by Upper House MP Sarah Game, an independent politician formerly affiliated with One Nation, sought to restrict abortions performed after the 23-week mark. Under the proposal, terminations would only be permissible in cases of significant fetal abnormalities, to safeguard the life of the expectant mother, or to protect the life of another fetus.
currently, South Australian law permits abortions beyond 23 weeks if the pregnancy poses a “significant risk to the physical or mental health” of the pregnant person, requiring approval from two medical professionals. Game argued that the existing legislation was too broad,and that mental health shoudl not be considered a sufficient justification for late-term abortions. She stated that individuals experiencing “severe mental distress” would be provided care through the Mental Health Act.
During Wednesday’s Legislative Council session, Game asserted that late-term abortions were not an infrequent occurrence. “A lot of healthy babies [are] being denied a choice at life,” she said,adding,”Every individual life is worthy.”
Though, opposition to the bill was strong. Independent MLC Tammy Franks voiced concerns that restricting access to abortion would not eliminate the practice, but rather render it unsafe. “Abortion bans are linked to rises in sepsis, infant deaths [and other health issues],” Franks stated, emphasizing, “The stakes here are life and death.”
This legislative attempt followed a similar bill introduced last year by Liberal MP Ben Hood.Hood’s proposal, defeated in October after a three-hour debate, would have mandated inducing labor in women exceeding 27 weeks and six days gestation, compelling live birth rather of in-utero termination.
The debate surrounding Game’s bill also highlighted broader ideological divisions. The proposal received endorsement from Joanna Howe, a prominent anti-abortion campaigner who also assisted in drafting Hood’s previous bill. Demonstrations took place outside Parliament House, with hundreds of pro-life protesters gathering on Wednesday night following a pro-choice rally held the previous week.
Despite his previous unsuccessful attempt, Hood reiterated his support for stricter regulations, stating in the chamber, “No-one in this chamber would doubt that my beliefs on this topic are firm.” He added, “We do stand here today knowing viable babies have died as an inevitable result of [the current act].”
Liberal MP Michelle Lensink expressed emotional opposition to t
Here’s a substantive news report answering the “Why, Who, What, and How” questions:
What: The South Australian Upper House defeated a bill proposed by independent MP Sarah Game that aimed to restrict abortions after 23 weeks of gestation. The bill would have limited terminations to cases of fetal abnormality, risk to the mother’s life, or risk to another fetus.
Who: Key figures involved include Sarah Game (independent MP who proposed the bill), Tammy Franks (Independent MLC who opposed the bill), Ben Hood (Liberal MP who previously proposed a similar bill), Joanna Howe (anti-abortion campaigner), and Michelle Lensink (Liberal MP). The vote involved all members of the Upper House, with 11 opposing and 8 supporting
