south Australianโฃ Abortion Bill Defeated in Parliament
Adelaide, โSouth Australia – A โคbill seeking toโ restrict late-term abortionsโ in south Australiaโค was narrowly voted โdown โby theโ upper house โคWednesday night, following โa debateโข mirroring a similar attempt last year.The proposed legislation would have โmandated induction of laborโค forโ women exceeding โ27 weeksโค and six days gestation,rather than allowing for โฃtermination of pregnancy.
The bill’s defeat comes after โa contentious period marked by both pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations outside Parliament House. Hundreds of pro-life protesters gathered โคahead โof the vote, following a pro-choice rallyโ held theโข previous week.
Independent MLC Tammy Franks โvoiced strong opposition to the bill, arguing that stricter laws render abortions โ”unsafe.” Liberalโ MP Ben Hood, who introduced a โฃsimilar bill in 2023, reiterated his โขfirmโค beliefs onโข the issue and voted in favor of the current proposal. His previous โattempt was also defeated in October of last โขyear โขafter a three-hour debate.
Liberal โขMP Michelle Lensink expressed emotional opposition, stating โคthe bill โขundermined “informed consent”โค and โconflicted with theโ Liberal Party’s โprinciplesโข of supporting individuals facing โunfair laws.
The โคbillโ had received endorsement โฃfrom anti-abortion campaigner Joanna โHowe,โค who also assisted in drafting both the current and previous iterations of theโค legislation.
According to โขMr. Hood,โค “viable โbabies have died as a consequence of [the current act].” โthe outcome โmaintains the status quo under existingโค South Australian law regarding abortion access.
