Premier Peter Malinauskas has surprised some Labor voters by voting to further restrict access to late-term abortions in South Australia, backing Family First MP Sarah Game's push to tighten the state's laws. However, even the premier's support was insufficient to save the bill from a heavy defeat in the lower house.
Bill Defeated in Lower House
Malinauskas and Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn were among just nine MPs who supported the legislation on Wednesday night, after the bill passed the upper house hours earlier in a historic 10–9 result. The lower house rejected it 36–9, shutting down the proposal after a brief but heated debate.
Proposed Changes to Abortion Laws
The bill sought to amend the state's 2021 termination of pregnancy laws by removing the existing provision that allows abortions after 23 weeks with approval from two doctors if continuing the pregnancy poses a significant risk to the woman's physical or mental health. Under the proposed changes, after 25 weeks abortions would only be permitted if two doctors agreed the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life. An exemption for severe foetal abnormalities was added by Labor MLC Tung Ngo, who said he did not support late-term abortion but would not “force families into suffering when the medical reality is clear and the outcome is heartbreak.” Mental health would be totally removed as a reason for abortion after 25 weeks.
Campaign and Opposition
The push for tighter restrictions has been driven in part by University of Adelaide law academic Dr Joanna Howe, a prominent anti-abortion campaigner who specialises in migration and labour law but has become a leading figure in the movement against late-term and sex-selection abortions. Sex-selection abortions are prohibited by health authorities in South Australia but not illegal. Howe's supporters rallied on the steps of Parliament House as the upper house vote took place.
One Nation MP Chantelle Thomas accused Labor of rushing the bill to a vote without allowing MPs time to consult their communities. In the upper house, Labor's Mira El-Dannawi spoke first to oppose the bill, while Liberal Heidi Girolamo supported it. New Greens MLC Melanie Selwood said she was “shocked and appalled” the legislation had been brought forward.
Third Attempt in Two Years
This was the third attempt in two years to tighten late-term abortion laws, following unsuccessful efforts by Game in 2025 and Liberal Ben Hood in 2024. Malinauskas previously supported abortion decriminalisation in 2021 but also backed an amendment imposing some restrictions on late-term procedures.
Reaction from Advocacy Groups
The South Australian Abortion Action Coalition (SAAAC) called the push for the change “cruel,” saying that repeated attempts to tighten the laws have caused unnecessary harm by spreading stigma, fuelling misinformation, and creating fear among people who rely on abortion services. The group says the focus must now return to improving access across the state—particularly for rural and regional patients—and supporting the clinicians who provide care.
SAAAC's co-convenor Brigid Coombe AM thanked MPs in both chambers who voted down the bill and spoke in support of evidence-based reproductive healthcare, saying their stance reflects community expectations and the state's commitment to compassionate services. “The Coalition says it is relieved to shift its attention back to strengthening pathways to quality abortion care, especially outside metropolitan areas. It says the repeated failure of anti-abortion bills shows those pushing for restrictions are out of step with South Australians' expectations for safe, evidence-based healthcare,” she said. “Debate on the bill again aired stigmatising rhetoric and misinformation, and the group has commended the government for bringing the matter to a swift close.” SAAAC says it hopes healthcare will no longer be hijacked by the ideological agenda of a minority of politicians.
