A bill seeking to decriminalise abortion in New South Wales has failed in parliament, meaning obtaining the procedure will remain punishable by up to ten years in prison.
Greens MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi’s Abortion Law Reform bill was voted down by a margin of 14 – 25. Not a single member of the sitting Coalition government voted in favour of the reforms.
The results of the vote means that, for the time being, abortion will remain on the Crimes Act.
The bill sought to remove that restriction, along with instituting exclusion zones around clinics to keep protestors at bay, and ensuring doctors with personal objections to the procedure refer their patients to another medical practitioner.
Why the fuck is abortion a fucking crime to this day in NSW?
— ingrid ?? (@ingridatkins) May 11, 2017
Can’t believe it’s 2017 and NSW Parliament is still voting to keep abortion in the Crimes Act. Very disappointing! #auspol #end12
— Joseph Nicita (@JoeyNicita) May 11, 2017
NSW JUST VOTED TO KEEP ABORTION CRIMINALISED. FOLKS. HELLO.
— Jo (@baeoflight) May 11, 2017
i am not a criminal for deciding what happens to my body https://t.co/NjDqbiNRWT
— chloe sargeant (@chlosarge) May 11, 2017
Source: ABC / The Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: @kikabeja / Instagram.