Proposal to change abortion laws in SA set to be debated in state parliament

A controversial proposal to change abortion laws in South Australia is expected to be debated in parliament today.

Transcript

00:00South Australia's upper house is expected to vote on a bill which would amend the state's

00:07abortion laws.

00:08Now these proposed changes have been introduced by Liberal MLC Ben Hood and if his bill passes

00:13parliament it would mean that a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy after 27 weeks and

00:19six days gestation would be induced and required to give birth to a live baby rather than terminating

00:25the pregnancy in utero and that woman would then have the option of putting the baby up

00:30for adoption.

00:31Now under the current South Australian legislation which was passed in 2021 women can get late

00:37term abortions after 22 weeks and six days gestation if it's deemed medically appropriate

00:43by two doctors and according to SA Health in the first 18 months that those laws were

00:49implemented fewer than five people had a late term abortion after that 27 week mark.

00:56Now Adelaide woman Taylor Jane Jackson says she was one of those people who had a late

01:00term abortion.

01:01She shared her story with the ABC and says she's now sad and frustrated that debate to

01:06change the laws is underway and she believes the proposal could be problematic.

01:11Meanwhile Ben Hood says he believes the bill balances the rights of women with the rights

01:16of children and last night a large crowd of supporters of the bill gathered on the

01:20steps of State Parliament calling for the Premier Peter Malinowskis to support the proposed

01:26amendments.

01:27Now Mr Malinowskis has not said whether he would or wouldn't support the bill but both

01:31Liberal and Labor MPs have been given a conscience vote on the matter and it's also expected

01:37that a group of people opposing the bill plan to gather outside Parliament House today but

01:42of course we will be waiting to see what the result is of that debate which is expected

01:47sometime this evening.