Dr Joanna Howe: ‘The decision to ban me was made arbitrarily and without warning’

Pro-life advocate Professor Joanna Howe says her ban from SA parliament is a slap in the face to the democratic process, free speech and fair debate.

I started speaking up against late-term abortion after the South Australian parliament introduced abortion up to birth in 2021.

I knew my stance would be controversial, but I didn’t expect this: to be banned from the people’s house.

The decision to ban me was made arbitrarily and without warning.

There was no investigation. No opportunity to respond. No due process.

In making his unprecedented and arbitrary decision to ban me, the President of the Legislative Council, Terry Stephens, leaned on Jing Lee’s statement made on Tuesday in the parliament. This statement never identified me as the person she was concerned about. However, it is clear to everybody that her statement was designed to implicate me.

Since Jing Lee made the statement, clear documentary evidence has now come to light printed in The Advertiser yesterday showing that our conversation was cordial and entirely within the bounds of normal democratic processes. After the conversation ended, we hugged, took a selfie and Jing Lee thanked me via text message, writing, “Thank-you for seizing the moment to speak to me during dinner break!”

Law professor and leading pro-life campaigner Dr Joanna Howe. Picture: RoyVPhotography

In my conversation with all MPs during the campaign for the Live Births Bill, I made the point that I would hold them to account for how they voted. This is how democracy works. As members of the public, we have no say in how laws are made. The only power we have is to speak with our feet and vote at the ballot box. If members of parliament feel threatened and unsafe when told they will be held to account for how they voted, they don’t belong in the parliament. And they certainly should not be collecting $215,000 from the taxpayer.

Jing Lee and Joanna Howe in a selfie at Parliament House on the night of the abortion vote.

President of the Legislative Council Terry Stephens.

Since speaking out against abortion up to birth in Australia, I’ve been called a “misogynist”, “Indian c***”, endured myriad threats of physical violence to me and my family, undergone six workplace investigations and now this ban from being in the parliament.

It speaks to the viciousness of the attempt to cancel and silence anyone who dares speak up against the pro-abortion establishment.

I am determined to fight this for my own sake but even more so for all Australians because our very freedom is at stake.

If a member of the public can be banned from the parliament on fabricated charges without due process, they can do anything.

The parliament doesn’t belong to Terry Stephens, Reggie Martin, Emily Burke, Connie Bonaros, Tammy Franks or even Premier Peter Malinauskas. It belongs to the people.

Irrespective of whether you agree with me or not on late-term abortion, we should all be gravely concerned for our Australian democracy when power is wielded in this arbitrary and unfair way.

Dr Joanna Howe is a Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide and a pro-life advocate.