Bill to restrict abortions later in pregnancy defeated in South Australia after emotional debate

A bill to restrict access to abortion after 22 weeks and six days has been defeated in the South Australian parliament.

The former One Nation MLC Sarah Game, who is now an independent, worked with the controversial anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe on the legislation that went before the SA parliament on Wednesday night.

It was voted down by 11 votes to eight.

Several MLCs became visibly distressed and tearful during the debate on Wednesday evening.

The attorney general, Kyam Maher, referred to comments from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Ranzcog) that the bill was premised either on an ignorance of reality or a wilful misrepresentation of the facts. Liberal women react with ‘horror’ to abortion comments from Coalition colleagues