3 December 2020
A Bill to reform South Australia’s abortion laws has passed Parliament’s Upper House by 12 votes to nine.
The Bill, which aims to decriminalise abortion, was passed in the early hours of Thursday morning. It will now go to the Lower House where it will again be the subject of a conscience vote.
The SA Abortion Action Coalition said the majority of South Australians wanted to see abortion treated as a health procedure, with recent polling showing nearly 80 per cent support for decriminalisation, InDaily reports.
“This Bill will remove barriers to access to healthcare, particularly for those in rural and regional areas, through enabling early medication abortion, telemedicine services and eventually care provided by registered health practitioners, such as registered nurses and midwives,” coalition convenor Brigid Coombe was quoted.
“This Bill will reduce the stigma associated with abortion, consistent with the community’s respect for women’s autonomy in their reproductive health decisions and care.”
In announcing the Bill in October, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said the proposal “would bring us in line with all other Australian states and territories”.
“This is based on the understanding that it is a medical procedure which should be treated like any other health issue.”
The ANMF (SA Branch) has a long-standing policy position supporting legalisation of abortion services to women in the state.
Consistent with that policy position we have expressed support for the present legislative intention to decriminalise abortion in South Australia and to modernise the law in relation to these services.
We acknowledge the important step forward this Bill represents in removing the regulation of abortion from criminal law and recognising that termination of a pregnancy is a lawful health procedure. This outcome would see South Australia modernise the law and fully decriminalise abortion as has been the case in every other state already.