SA attorney general refers anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe’s fundraiser ‘game’ for investigation

Bingo card-style game, where supporters encouraged to ‘buy’ words and phrases linked to contentious abortion bill, condemned by crossbench MLCs as a ‘grift’ that trivialised debate

Tory Shepherd
Thu 13 Nov 2025

A “fun little game” launched by the anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe to raise funds during an emotional debate over late-pregnancy abortion in South Australia has been referred for investigation.

Howe, who has worked with conservative politicians to introduce various state and federal bills to water down abortion rights, said the bingo card-style game was a fundraiser for an anti-abortion war chest.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/nov/13/joanna-howe-anti-abortion-activist-sa-attorney-general-ntwnfb

13.11.2025

anti-choice hatred

anti-choice misogyny

Ben Hood

bingo card game on abortion

Bill to restrict abortions later in pregnancy defeated in South Australia after emotional debate

Amendment would have watered down law to allow abortion only where it would save life of mother or another foetus, or for significant risk of abnormalities

Tory Shepherd
Thu 13 Nov 2025

A bill to restrict access to abortion after 22 weeks and six days has been defeated in the South Australian parliament.

The former One Nation MLC Sarah Game, who is now an independent, worked with the controversial anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe on the legislation that went before the SA parliament on Wednesday night.

It was voted down by 11 votes to eight.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/13/south-australia-abortion-bill-restrict-late-term-defeated-voted-down

Abortion legislation voted down in South Australian Parliament

By Eva Blandis, Kathryn Bermingham
Nov 12, 2025

A new push to change South Australia's abortion laws to limit terminations after 23 weeks has been voted down in state parliament's upper house.

The vote was carried out at 9pm, with 11 members voting against and eight members voting for.

Upper House MP Sarah Game, an independent formerly of One Nation, launched the bill in September to place limits on abortions after 23 weeks.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-12/sa-abortion-voted-down/106001338

12.11.2025

New threat to abortion access in SA

Less than a year after a move to restrict abortion access was narrowly defeated in South Australia, a similar bill is set to be introduced to parliament.

08 September 2025

By Holly Payne

For the second time in 12 months, South Australia’s GP community has come out against proposed restrictions on abortion in the state.

In October last year, SA’s upper house voted down a bill from Liberal MP Ben Hood which would have forced women seeking a termination of pregnancy after 28 weeks to undergo an induced birth and deliver their baby alive.

Continued: https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/new-threat-to-abortion-access-in-sa/119720

08.09.2025

AUSTRALIA – Upper House MP Sarah Game launches new push to change SA abortion laws

Exclusive by Kathryn Bermingham
Thursday 4 September

A renewed push to place new restrictions on abortion access in South Australia is set to be introduced to parliament, less than a year after the last debate over the state's pregnancy termination laws.

Upper House MP Sarah Game, an independent formerly of One Nation, will introduce a bill to place new limits on abortions after 23 weeks.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-05/sarah-game-introduces-new-abortion-bill-amendments/105734080

Anti-abortion advocate Joanna Howe banned from South Australia’s upper house for alleged ‘threatening’ tactics towards politicians

Upper house president Terry Stephens says of ‘highest concern’ is suggestion Howe attempted to ‘improperly influence the free performance’ of MLCs’ duties

Tory Shepherd
Thu 31 Oct 2024

The anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe has been banned from South Australia’s upper house after its president revealed in parliament that he had received several complaints from MLCs alleging she had used “insults and threatening and intimidating tactics” towards politicians during a debate about the state’s controversial “forced birth” legislation.

The legislation, if passed, would have meant any South Australian seeking an abortion after 27 weeks and six days, would instead be induced, give birth, then either keep or adopt out the child.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/31/anti-abortion-advocate-joanna-howe-banned-from-south-australias-upper-house-for-alleged-threatening-tactics-ntwnfb

31.10.2024

News

anti-choice assholes

anti-choice immorality

How the abortion bandwagon has proved a useful vehicle for political advantage

From Queensland to South Australia, tacticians of different stripes have been able to leverage the conviction of true-believers

Karen Middleton
Fri 25 Oct 2024

When politicians start talking about abortion law, it’s often more about the politics than the law. When this occurs in the heat of an election campaign, the likelihood of that only increases.

Since Robbie Katter ignited the final weeks of the Queensland state election campaign with his talk of winding back abortion law under a possible future Liberal National government, similar talk has crept south and into the federal arena.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/25/how-the-abortion-bandwagon-has-proved-a-useful-vehicle-for-political-advantage

Abortion is back in the headlines in Australia. The debates in the United States tell us why

October 23, 2024
Prudence Flowers

The 2022 news that the US Supreme Court had overturned Roe v Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion sent shockwaves around the world.

For Australian opponents of abortion who had long looked to the US for leadership and inspiration, it prompted rejoicing. As a leader of Cherish Life Queensland put it, “if the USA can do it, with God’s help, so can we”.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-back-in-the-headlines-in-australia-the-debates-in-the-united-states-tell-us-why-241778

Is abortion really on the ballot again in Australia? State politics indicates it could be

By Q+A and RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas
Oct 20, 2024

Fierce debates about abortion have been raging in two Australian states during the past few weeks, leaving many scratching their heads wondering why it's suddenly part of Australian political discourse again.

In Australia, all states and territories have decriminalised abortion, but in the United States it's a different matter. Since 2022, 21 states have banned or restricted abortion to lower than the standard set by Roe v Wade, which protected reproductive rights for nearly half a century until it was spectacularly dumped by the Supreme Court.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-21/abortion-debate-in-queensland-and-south-australia-politics/104489634

South Australia’s upper house narrowly rejects ‘Trumpian’ bill to wind back abortion care

Legislation to force women seeking a later termination to be induced, deliver the baby alive, and keep it or adopt it out, defeated by 10 votes to nine

Tory Shepherd
Wed 16 Oct 2024

A child that faces a bedridden life. A girl with intellectual disabilities raped by a family member. Victims of domestic violence or reproductive coercion. There are a variety of distressing reasons women have later stage terminations.

There is no easy definition of when an abortion is considered “late” or “late-term”. It is generally considered anything after 20 weeks’ gestation, but the states and territories have a patchwork of legislation with various milestones.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/16/south-australias-upper-house-narrowly-rejects-trumpian-bill-to-wind-back-abortion-care