Health Care (Safe Access) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (11:21): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Health Care Act 2008. Read a first time.

Second Reading

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (11:21): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

It is my great privilege again to introduce a bill to this place to protect women, their families, their supporters, the staff, the workers, the committed people in South Australia who seek to access abortion services in a respectful, safe and caring manner without the fear of protest and without the fear of people making their experience more traumatic than what it already is.

I will not speak to the points of this bill. I have put my thoughts on record many, many times. I wish to thank the women of this house who have supported me with this bill. I thank the Attorney-General for her wise input in regard to amendments, and the spokesperson for the status of women on our side of the house, the member for Reynell, who also has done work to support this bill. I thank the women of the South Australian Abortion Action Coalition, the women and other members of the public who have called out to us for change, and the nurses, midwives and counsellors who work at the Pregnancy Advisory Centre. I hope for a speedy passage of this bill as soon as we can address it. I commend it to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Pederick.