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Speaking exclusively to FamilyVoice Australia, former senator Bob Day has explained the resolve of his Australian Family Party to unseat key Liberal MPs at next year’s state election, owing to their voting on abortion last week in the South Australian Parliament.
His party will especially target Paula Luethen (MP for King - in the Golden Grove region) and Richard Harvey (MP for Newland - in the Tea Tree Gully area). Both hold their seats for the Liberals on small margins.
Although Dr Harvey voted against the abortion bill at the third reading stage, he and Ms Luethen rejected the key amendment moved by Hon David Speirs, designed to prevent late term abortions for mental health reasons. Ms Luethen voted for the bill at the third reading.
“Our assessment of each member’s position on the bill relates to their voting on the crucial Speirs amendment on 17th February,” Bob Day told FamilyVoice after the abortion debate.
“We had personally contacted first term MPs Richard Harvey in the Seat of Newland, and Paula Luethen in the Seat of King, but they chose to ignore our pleas,” he said.
“During the debate, particularly on the ‘abortion-to-birth’ provisions, the Australian Family Party stated publicly it would direct its preferences at the next State election against any sitting member who voted for ‘abortion-to-birth’,” Mr Day said.
Referring to his party as “basically Family First version 2.0,” Mr Day said Family First achieved 8 - 9 per cent of first preference votes in Newland and King. He noted the MPs representing those seats obtained electoral margins of less than 2 per cent.
Led by Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman, the SA Liberals introduced the Termination of Pregnancy Bill (2020) that gained approval from lower house MPs last week.
“It is clear from the Liberal position on abortion, and its proposals to undermine faith-based organisations running schools, hospitals and other services, that some State MPs need to be replaced.”