South Australia's third anti-abortion bill in two years passed the Legislative Council by the narrowest possible margin on June 17, before the House of Assembly rejected it decisively hours later in the same evening, leaving the state's existing abortion laws unchanged.
The Termination of Pregnancy (Restrictions on Terminations After 24 Weeks and 6 Days) Amendment Bill was introduced by Family First MLC Sarah Game on May 20. It would have effectively banned abortions after 24 weeks by removing existing exemptions that allow two doctors to approve terminations after 23 weeks in specified circumstances.
The Legislative Council passed the bill 10 votes to 9, the first time such legislation had cleared the upper chamber. Both Premier Peter Malinauskas and Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn voted in favour.
Hours later, the House of Assembly defeated the bill 36 votes to 9. Speaker Nat Cook initially called the voice vote in favour of the bill, but was challenged; a recorded vote confirmed the bill's defeat by a wide margin.
'The composition of this chamber has changed; it's changed due to the voting of the public,' Game said in her contribution to the debate, pointing to the election of conservative crossbenchers including herself.
Women's Minister Katrine Hildyard, who opposed the bill, said: 'We must send a clear message that we respect healthcare professionals and trust women.'
One Nation MLC Chantelle Thomas gave an emotional personal speech in support of the bill, saying her own story was 'living proof that sometimes the predictions are wrong,' in reference to diagnoses made during pregnancy.
