Victorian Prime Minister John Brumby has expressed confidence that the Abortion Law Reform Bill, which on Friday comfortably passed its third and final reading in the lower house, will be law by Christmas.
The bill, which decriminalizes all abortions before 24 weeks of gestation and permits abortions after then if supported by two doctors, passed 48-28 with no amendments on Friday morning after an estimated 50 hours of debate this week. All parties permitted a conscience vote; Brumby’s deputy was one of those who opposed the bill. The vote in the upper house is expected to be much closer.
- Abortion bill passes lower house -The Australian, September 12, 2008
- Abortion reform bill passed in Victorian lower house -The Canberra Times, September 12, 2008
Filed under: abortion | Tagged: australia, john brumby, labor party, pro-choice, victoria
[...] is currently considering a law to take abortion off the Crimes Act. The Abortion Law Reform Bill comfortably passed the lower house. In India, the federal government is considering extending the cut-off date for abortions from 20 [...]
[...] ABC News reports that the Abortion Law Reform Bill has passed another major hurdle in Victoria. Already accepted without amendment by the lower house, on Friday, 10 October, 2008 it passed a conscience vote in the upper house by 23 votes to 17. [...]