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Speech: Termination of Pregnancy (Terminations and Live Births) Amendment Bill

16 October 2024

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (20:26): I rise to speak against this bill. As noted by my colleague, the Hon. Tammy Franks, this is not simply a matter of conscience for the Greens, it is actually a matter of party policy for us. Our party has a very clear policy position in favour of recognising abortion as fundamental to health care.

I do want to say that it is always been a frustration for me that the two old parties approach issues of women's reproductive rights as conscience votes. It creates the impression that these issues are opt-in luxury items and it seems that whenever we are dealing with issues of gay rights or women's rights these become conscience votes of the old parties. I do find that a very frustrating state of affairs, particularly when they bind on so many other policy issues in this place that have a significant moral dimension.

I want to take a moment to reflect some of the Greens' policy and read that into Hansard. Our policy that we took to the last federal election was very clear:

The Greens will continue to support giving people choices over their bodies by ensuring access to safe and affordable sexual and reproductive healthcare.

We are committed to making access to abortion safe, accessible, legal and affordable across Australia.

As the Hon. Tammy Franks has stated, no matter who represents our party in the parliament, there is a clear commitment that we will defend women's reproductive rights in this place. It is very clear to me that this is going to be an important issue at the next state election, as it is over in Queensland, given the broad support for the radical proposition that the Hon. Mr Hood has put before the parliament from the Liberal side of politics, and so the Greens will be doing everything we can to resist this assault on women's reproductive rights in the days and months ahead.

I also want to acknowledge the leadership of my colleague, the Hon. Tammy Franks, over many years in this space. The Hon. Ms Franks has been a strong and tireless voice for the rights of women, in particular defending women's reproductive rights, and I really want to acknowledge her leadership. I know that it is valued by many, many people in the community and, indeed, it is an issue that has been raised with me many, many times when people reflect on the great work that the honourable member has done in this place. She has been a really staunch advocate, so I want to recognise her for her work on that.

I am opposed to this bill not only because it is Greens policy to stand for women's reproductive rights but also because I consider this bill to be morally reprehensible. There are already significant safeguards in place when it comes to women accessing late-term abortions. One of the things that has really upset me about this debate is the highly emotive and I think disrespectful language that has been used in relation to those women who have had to make that incredibly difficult decision, a decision that they are making in consultation with healthcare professionals, not politicians. These decisions should be made by women in consultation with healthcare professionals, not by members of parliament who seek to regulate what people do in their personal lives.

I want to reference some points made here by Professor Warren Jones. Professor Jones has had more than 45 years' experience working in the women's health field. This is a letter that he wrote to The Advertiser when this issue came on the agenda just a few weeks ago. He said:

It is clear that some have no knowledge of the emotional or physical trauma experienced by women with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies…

In Sydney in the early 1960s, I worked in a 24-bed hospital ward dedicated to the acute care of women who were recovering or dying from infection and haemorrhage after illegal abortions.

I then had similar experiences in England and campaigned for abortion law reform leading up to the passage of the enlightened UK Abortion Act in 1967.

Legalised and safe termination of pregnancy is now well established in SA. It is not in the purvey of community bias. It is solely a matter of a woman's rights and her choice.

The currently proposed, and politically motivated, private member's Bill is dangerous to women.

Severe mental illness and critical medical disorders usually do not manifest until pregnancy is well advanced when a late but life-saving decision for termination must be taken by the woman and two doctors.

To make this decision conditional on the baby being adopted out is unethical and medically reprehensible.

I agree with Professor Warren Jones and, indeed, this appears to be the view of the overwhelming majority of healthcare professionals who work in this space and provide advice and support to women in these circumstances.

I also want to reference one of the other elements of this debate that I found really disturbing, and that is this kind of flippant way in which adoption has been talked about as a solution: 'Oh, well, these women should be forced to have the baby and then just put the baby up for adoption.' Again, I think the Liberal speakers who are offering that, and those in this debate outside who have put that solution forward, are being blind to history.

Back in 2012, there was a comprehensive Senate inquiry into forced adoption practices here in our country, looking at the significant effect that this practice had for women. It led to a national apology, recognising the long-term trauma that those practices did to those women. This parliament, here in South Australia, also provided an apology to those women. So, to simply dismiss their experience, and to sort of suggest that this is some kind of easy solution and easy pathway, again, I find demonstrates that the Liberals just do not get it.

This brings me to my next point, and that is what I see as being the far right's takeover of the South Australian Liberal Party, something that I see to be very disturbing here in this parliament. I think it is worth reflecting that this is the second private members' Wednesday, or second week in a row, when we have dealt with these thorny issues where we have seen Liberal speakers presenting world views that I think are wildly out of step with the broader South Australian community.

What we are seeing, I think, is an importation of the far-right politics of Donald Trump in the United States, and it is being brought into a South Australian context. That is really concerning, I think, in terms of what that means for this kind of debate here in South Australia. I know some people might find that shocking, but it is very clear that these tactics are being adopted and deployed here in South Australia, and I urge the Liberal Party not to go down this path because I see it as being very divisive and it is very dangerous.

If you look at what has unfolded over in the United States, where there has been a gradual erosion of women's rights, and in particular their right to access abortion, that is resulting in very dangerous health outcomes for women, and I do not want to see that kind of environment being created here in South Australia.

This is a matter of health care. It should not be a matter for politicians and, indeed, this was resolved some time ago. It is now being reopened in the context of a Liberal Party preselection that is coming down the line, and I think that is really regrettable. I hope that we are not going to see this sort of culture war politics being played out in the months and years ahead by the South Australian Liberal Party. In closing, I oppose this bill, and I urge all members to vote it down and to stand firm in standing up for women's reproductive rights.