SA Unions slam a private member’s bill from conservative MLC Sarah Game as a direct assault on safe, legal abortion access, which is due to be brought to a vote this week.
SA Unions stress that access to reproductive health services drives gender equality and ensures women’s social, economic, and political equality. Abortion rights are human rights, they are a healthcare issue that should be between a woman and her medical practitioner.
The proponents of this bill are living in the dark ages on the topic of abortion. The predominant cohort of people accessing abortion care are working women in their forties. As the voice for working women, unions know that women’s lives are at capacity. The last thing they need or deserve is this malicious attack on women’s bodily autonomy, which diverts attention from the economic and social crises crushing South Australians.
This private member’s bill proposes more draconian restrictions to arbitrarily limit access to healthcare, when a similar private members bill was rejected only a year ago. The Union peak body highlights the bill’s convenient timing and Game’s ‘Fair Go’ party launch as undeniable proof of a political opportunism scheme to rally conservatives before the state election.
An extremist anti-abortion agitator has already been banned from parts of the parliament for her alleged threatening tactics. The Parliament has already rejected another bill to restrict reproductive healthcare in this term. This is a repeat of the same tactics that were rejected a year ago for the sake of political theatre, and publicity.
“This bill is shameful political theatre. South Australians need our politicians to focus on the issues we’re battling with, like the unprecedented cost of living. Not gambling with women’s most personal healthcare decisions. SA Women are sick of it.”
“This is a calculated move to inflame division under the guise of blocking access to essential medical care. These restrictions would hit regional and low-income working women the hardest. Autonomy over our bodies is non-negotiable.”
“This is just another example of Sarah Game trying to import Trump-style culture wars. But we’re better than this, and South Australians won’t stand for it”
“Reproductive healthcare decisions should be made by a woman with her doctor, not made by a former veterinarian on north terrace trying to get more social media followers.”
“We’re calling on all MPs to reject this cynical, politically motivated bill, and protect women’s rights to decide their own medical treatment.”