The Termination of Pregnancy (Restrictions on Terminations after 22 Weeks and 6 Days) Amendment Bill 2025 – known as the Saving Viable Babies Bill –failed to pass the South Australian Legislative Council this evening, falling short by two votes.
Pro-life advocates had filled the public gallery in support of the Bill wearing white T-Shirts.
This Bill, put forward by independent MLC the Hon Sarah Game, would have prohibited late-term abortions after 23 weeks’ gestation on the grounds of social reasons or a mother’s mental health.
Ashlyn Vice, SA Director for the Australian Christian Lobby, expressed her profound disappointment that Parliament had rejected another opportunity to uphold the dignity of unborn children.
“Since gestational limits were removed for abortion in 2021, 79 healthy babies in our State have had their lives ended by feticide. The longer we delay reform on this issue, the more lives will be lost,” Vice said.
“This Bill would have corrected an unintended consequence of the 2021 abortion changes. Parliament and the people of South Australia were assured that the abortion of healthy, viable babies would not occur. Tragically, this has not been the case.”
The Australian Christian Lobby thanked Members who supported the Bill: Sarah Game, Heidi Girolamo, Nicola Centofanti, Clare Scriven, Tung Ngo, Dennis Hood, Ben Hood, Frank Pangallo and Laura Henderson.
Vice emphasised that allowing late-term abortion cannot be described as compassion towards women.
“Third-trimester abortions are traumatic procedures for the mother, involving a transabdominal injection to induce cardiac arrest in her baby, followed by induced labour and the delivery of a stillborn child.”
She said it is urgent that South Australia legislates a more compassionate approach to both mother and child, explaining that at 23 weeks’ gestation a baby is capable of survival outside the womb, can already recognise its parents’ voices, and has pain receptors to react to the pain of procedures.
The ACL will continue to advocate for legal protections for unborn children alongside genuine, life-affirming support for mothers in crisis pregnancies.
