Holy Shit: Abortion has FINALLY been decriminalised in NSW

By Emma Goldrick

Following a lengthy battle by feminist activists, pro-choice advocates and both legal and medical experts, the NSW Parliament voted in favour of decriminalising abortion within the state. The bill has been the source of substantial political and public debate over the last 3 months - with mass movements urging the outdated law to be removed.

Last night the bill passed through the Upper House with 26 votes to 14 - this breakdown of votes demonstrates how controversial the rights to female bodily autonomy remain even in 2019. Nevertheless, the Upper house ruling then paved the way for the bill to voted on in the Lower House this morning. 

The NSW Lower House heard a round of applause, and a sigh of relief as amendments to the act were approved. 

This amendment comes more than a century after abortion was enshrined in the states criminal code. For years prominent campaigns and protest groups such as the “End 12” movement (which seek to remove section 12 of the Crimes Act - which criminalised abortion) have fought for the right of female bodily autonomy. 

The battle was not won easily - the parliament saw over 100 amendments discussed and over 40 hours debate prior to the bill moving through to the Lower House. Despite the immense discussion and deliberation over the amendments, members of parliament were still divided. Premier Gladys Berejiklian who has previously been one of many conservative figures to stand against amendments, was not in the chambers for the final vote. However, tensions over her refusal to support the bill reached climax last week as Liberal MPs including Lou Amato, Tanya Davies and Matthew Mason-Cox threatened to move towards a leadership spill if the premier continued to hand the bill in such manner. 

Amongst Berejiklian, many conservative politicians past and present have spoken out against the amendments, including both Federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. 

The bill was initially reintroduced to parliament in August this year by the independent MP Alex Greenwich. Greenwich reintroduced the bill after Senator Mehreen Faruqi had attempted to do so in previous years. The bill saw 15 co-sponsors, one of which Labor MP Penny Sharpe said: “the vote had been 119 years in the making”. 

With the passing of the bill, we have seen the strength and commitment that activists and progressive politicians continue to display over the conservative Liberal Government.