Adelaide Uni abortion crusader Joanna Howe accuses pro-life Liberal MP Dennis Hood of ‘abject betrayal’

One of the key architects of the state’s defeated abortion reforms has accused a conservative MP of betraying the pro-life movement after a last-minute deal.

• Had injection to ‘stop the heartbeat’

A key architect of the state’s late-term abortion reforms has lashed a Liberal MP she says betrayed the pro-life cause during Wednesday’s dramatic late-night parliamentary sitting.

The controversial reforms were narrowly defeated in the upper house – but only after extraordinary backroom shenanigans that forced an MP battling breast cancer to break her sick leave and make a late-night dash to Parliament House to ensure she could cast the deciding vote.

Dr Joanna Howe, who helped draft the bill that lost 10-9 in a vote just before 10pm on Wednesday, was scathing in response to how the controversial vote unfolded, labelling it an “abject betrayal” by conservative Liberal MP Dennis Hood.

Mr Hood’s vote would have levelled the numbers in the house – and given the deciding vote to the Legislative Council president – had he not agreed to pair with fellow Liberal MP Michelle Lensink.

Ms Lensink, a vocal opponent of the bill that would have forced women to give birth to live babies after 28 weeks, made a late-hour dash to parliament when an earlier pairing arrangement was vacated.

Prominent pro-life advocate Professor Joanna Howe at a rally outside Parliament House this week. Picture: Matt Turner.

In an emotionally charged post on Instagram, Dr Howe said it was “devastating to have lost by one vote and to be betrayed by someone who we thought was on our side: Dennis Hood”.

“To be clear: Dennis Hood should never have paired on this vote,” she said.

“It is a conscience vote and there is no requirement to pair.

“It was an abject betrayal – there are no other words. This result is absolutely heartbreaking and South Australian babies in the third trimester will die.”

In a response on X, Mr Hood said pairing arrangements “are common in conscience matters”.

“Further, the bill would have been defeated last night anyway, even if it passed the second reading, as I spoke to Michelle Lensink who was travelling to the parliament to vote it down at the third reading at the time,” he said.

Liberal MP Michelle Lensink rushed to parliament when her original pairing arrangement collapsed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Fellow Liberal MP Dennis Hood ultimately agreed to pair with Ms Lensink and sit out the vote. Picture: Morgan Sette

It is understood Ms Lensink had been originally “paired” with fellow Liberal Jing Lee, who spoke in favour of the bill during the debate.

Under pairing arrangements, when an MP is on leave another MP with opposing views will agree to sit out the vote, ensuring the absence does not affect the final result.

However, several MPs told The Advertiser that Ms Lee suddenly opted out of the pair arrangement after the dinner break, which would have levelled the vote at 10-10 and given Legislative Council President Terry Stephens – a conservative Liberal – the deciding vote.

As Ms Lensink tried to make her way to parliament and find another MP willing to pair, a Labor MP pulled the classic delaying tactic of a filibuster.

Dr Howe condemned the emotionally charged scenes inside and outside the chamber in the lead-up to the vote, saying she was “disgusted” at the behaviour of some MPs.

Dr Howe thanked the nine MPs who backed the reforms: Ben Hood, Nicola Centofanti, Sarah Game, Heidi Girolamo, Laura Henderson, Jing Lee, Tung Ngo, Frank Pangallo and Clare Scriven.

“South Australia are now waking up to the gruesome reality of abortion up to birth in our state,” she said.

“We have achieved a huge amount in just two weeks and so we know this is not the end but just the beginning.”

Originally published as Adelaide Uni abortion crusader Joanna Howe accuses pro-life Liberal MP Dennis Hood of ‘abject betrayal’