Senator Alex Antic urges SA Liberal MPs to vote against State Government’s abortion bill; Senior Ministers Vickie Chapman and Michelle Lensink respond
A senator is urging his party to vote against SA abortion laws, but two senior Liberal women are having none of it, dismantling his argument in a sledge-filled letter.
SA News
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A South Australian Liberal senator has described proposed changes to the state’s abortion laws as “brutal” and against the Party’s principles.
But State Attorney-General Vickie Chapman and Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink have hit back at their Federal counterpart, calling him a “junior member” of the team and urging him to brush up on the Party’s history in a sledge-filled letter.
Senator Alex Antic has written to all state Liberal MPs and MLCs “to appeal to your sense of decency to vote against the Bill”.
The State Government introduced the Termination of Pregnancy Bill into parliament earlier this month.
Under the legislation, abortion would no longer be illegal.
Currently, it is an offence to perform abortions in SA under certain conditions, such as without the approval of two doctors or outside a prescribed hospital.
The Bill would allow terminations to be performed on women who are more than 22 weeks and six days’ pregnant when two medical practitioners deem it medically appropriate.
A medical practitioner can refuse to perform an abortion if they conscientiously object, at which point they must transfer the person’s care to another registered health practitioner who will provide the requested service or provide information to the woman on how to locate such a practitioner.
The Bill will be dealt with as a conscience vote, meaning individual politicians can vote according to their own beliefs and standards, rather than being obliged to follow their Party’s line.
Mr Antic’s letter, which was also sent to Liberal Party’s State Council and various party members, says the bill seeks to “radically change” the state’s existing abortion laws “under the pretence of decriminalisation”.
“To characterise the Bill in such simple terms is unconscionable as, in truth, this is a brutal Bill which seeks to permit the destruction of a viable foetus up to and included the day prior to birth,” he wrote.
“Even at 22 weeks and six days, a foetus is viable. It has a heartbeat, and it can feel pain.
Mr Antic said the “Liberal Party which I know would reject the Bill”.
“Ours is the Party which stands for the proposition that the interests of all men, women and children must be protected,” he wrote.
“We are not the party of the radical left.”
Mr Antic said he was “shocked to think that any Liberal member of parliament would endorse a bill which offends such basic principles of our Party’s ethos”.
Liberal MLC Nicola Centofanti has also voiced concerns over the proposed removal of gestational upper term limits for pregnancy termination, saying there were many risks to a woman who has a late-term abortion.
“Little consideration has been given to the psychological impact on nurses and doctors who are required to perform feticide, a life-ending procedure that ensures there is no risk of a live birth, in the provision of a late-term abortion,” she said.
“Whilst in some extenuating medical circumstances late term abortions are performed, they should never become routine.”
Ms Chapman and Ms Lensink responded by writing a joint letter to Mr Antic on Wednesday, urging him to read the Bill, which they said was created after extensive consultation with clinicians, health associations and faith groups.
“It is frankly insulting to women to suggest they would seek a termination after (20 weeks) for frivolous reasons – not to mention offensive to their doctors – rather than appreciating that the unborn child may have abnormalities that make it incapable of surviving to term or the mother requires chemotherapy to treat cancer,” they wrote.
“You will never need a termination. I sincerely hope that would support a sister, daughter or friend when she is faced with one of the most difficult decisions of her life, rather than moralising at her and assuming you, for whatever reason, knows best.”
Ms Chapman and Ms Lensink also stated it was “unfortunate as a Liberal Party representative that you do not know the Party’s history and further that you believe the membership to be comprised solely of views that align with your own”.
They noted in 1968 the Young Liberal Movement passed a motion at their convention to allow for lawful abortions and as a result Liberal LCL Attorney-General Millhouse introduced a bill to bring an end to backyard abortions.
“Important social reform does not belong to Labor and minor parties,” they wrote.
“You state we are not a Party of the radical left. Nor are we a Party of the extreme Right that is beholden to sectional interests.”
The pair also congratulated Mr Antic for “receiving press attention”.
“I concede it must be difficult as the junior member of the federal team,” they wrote.
“Next time – just for something different – perhaps it can be for something other than baselessly attacking Liberal Party women in the State Parliament.”