A new push to change South Australia’s abortion laws to limit terminations after 23 weeks has been voted down in state Parliament’s upper house. Source: ABC News.
The vote was carried out on Wednesday evening, with 11 members voting against and eight members voting for.
Upper House MP Sarah Game, an independent formerly of One Nation, launched the bill in September to place limits on abortions after 23 weeks.
The proposal sought to limit terminations after 23 weeks to situations where there was a significant risk of fetal abnormalities, to save the life of the expectant mother or the life of another fetus.
State law currently allows abortions after 23 weeks if the pregnancy would involve “significant risk to the physical or mental health” of the pregnant person. Approval also needs to be granted by two doctors.
This bill differed from one introduced by Liberal MP Ben Hood last year, which proposed women who were over 27 weeks and six days gestation would be induced to give birth to a live baby, rather than terminating a pregnancy in utero.
Mr Hood’s bill was narrowly voted down by the upper house in October last year, after a three-hour debate.
Ms Game’s bill had been endorsed by prominent anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe. Dr Howe helped draft both bills.
Hundreds of pro-life protesters were outside Parliament House ahead of the vote on Wednesday night. It followed a pro-choice rally last week, which had dozens of attendees.
FULL STORY
Abortion legislation voted down in South Australian Parliament (By Eva Blandis, ABC News)
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