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A number of amendments have been proposed to the radical abortion bill which continues to be debated in SA Parliament.
An amendment to restrict the extreme abortion to birth provision in a South Australian abortion bill has been defeated.
The amendment, put forward by David Speirs MP, was defeated 26-20 (vote breakdown below).
But a watered-down version pushed by pro-abortion Attorney-General Vickie Chapman, proponent of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill, has passed.
The broad nature of the exemption wording in Chapman’s amendment – if the continuance of pregnancy poses a “significant risk of injury to physical or mental health”, means that it may make no difference whatsoever to babies being aborted up until birth.
The Advertiser reported:
Under the original Bill, the only provision needed for a late-term abortion was for two health practitioners to deem it “medically appropriate”.
Under Ms Chapman’s amendments, a late-term abortion could be performed only if two medical practitioners deem the termination “is necessary to save the life of the pregnant person or save another foetus” or if the continuance of pregnancy poses a “significant risk of injury to physical or mental health”.
A late-term abortion could also be performed if there were “serious foetal anomalies”, or risk of them, associated with the pregnancy.
Her amendment to late-term abortion provisions eventually received the support of the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, following exhaustive debate on what is considered an “injury to mental health”.
Meanwhile, federal Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has criticised state Liberal MP Michelle Lensink, who introduced the abortion bill last year, of being patronising.
Michelle Lensink lectured MPs on Twitter, saying: “No one is interested in your carefully curated arguments, or your capacity to audition for your local debating team.”.
In response, Nicolle Flint responded on Twitter:
“I have dedicated my time in federal parliament to trying to SAVE the lives of unborn babies. How dare you be so patronising to those who wish to do the same.”
Debate on the abortion bill will continue today.
How MPs voted on David Speirs' amendment to provide greater protection for unborn children from late term abortions
Ayes 20
Noes 26
Majority 6
In favour of greater protection for the unborn around late term abortion
Bell, T.S. Brock, G.G. Brown, M.E. Cowdrey, M.J. Cregan, D. Duluk, S. Ellis, F.J. Knoll, S.K. Koutsantonis, A. Malinauskas, P. Michaels, A. Mullighan, S.C. Murray, S. Patterson, S.J.R. Pederick, A.S. Piccolo, A. Power, C. Speirs, D.J.Tarzia, V.A. van Holst Pellekaan, D.C.
Against greater protection for the unborn around late term abortion
Basham, D.K.B. Bedford, F.E. Bettison, Z.L. Bignell, L.W.K. Boyer, B.I. Chapman, V.A. Close, S.E. Cook, N.F. Gardner, J.A.W. Gee, J.P. Harvey, R.M. Hildyard, K.A. Hughes, E.J. Luethen, P. Marshall, S.S. McBride, N. Odenwalder, L.K. Picton, C.J. Pisoni, D.G. Sanderson, R. Stinson, J.M. Szakacs, J.K. Teague, J.B. Whetstone, T.J. Wingard, C.L. Wortley, D.