Controversial abortion bill narrowly defeated in South Australia’s upper house

A controversial bill to change South Australia's abortion laws has been narrowly defeated in the state's upper house.

Transcript

00:00After about three hours of debate in the upper house last night, a bill to amend South Australia's

00:07abortion laws was defeated in the second reading stage, with nine members voting in favour

00:12of it and ten voting against it.

00:15The amendments, introduced by Liberal MLC Ben Hood, would have required people seeking

00:19a pregnancy termination after 27 weeks and six days to be induced and deliver a baby

00:25alive.

00:26They then would have had the option of placing the baby up for adoption.

00:30Both major parties allowed a conscience vote on the private member's bill, meaning that

00:34MPs did not need to vote along party lines.

00:38Those in support argued the proposed changes would have balanced the rights of women and

00:42children, but opponents said it would have caused suffering to women and interfered with

00:46their access to health care.

00:48Under the current state legislation, which passed in 2021, a person can get a late-term

00:53abortion after 22 weeks and six days if it's deemed medically appropriate and approved

00:59by two doctors.

01:00Liberal Upper House MP Michelle Lensink helped to spearhead those current laws and had been

01:05critical of the proposed amendments in the lead-up to the debate.

01:10Ms Lensink, who also announced earlier this year that she was being treated for breast

01:14cancer, posted to social media last night alleging that she was misled by her parliamentary

01:19colleague and One Nation MP Sarah Game that she would pair with her on the vote in her

01:24absence.

01:25Ms Lensink wrote it shows how desperate and un-Australian some people are in this debate.

01:31Sarah Game has been contacted for comment, but this result means that the bill will not

01:36go to the lower house and will not become law, and Mr Hood has previously said that

01:41if the bill fails, it's unlikely that it will come before state parliament again before

01:45the next election.