MPs acknowledge 'emotive' issue as abortion bill passes

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson voted for the bill after a survey of the community showed a slim majority were in favour.

He acknowledged the issue was "emotive, divisive and personal".

"The fact that we were given a conscious vote was the trigger for me to go back to the electorate and read the mood of the community," he said.

The survey showed 50.9 per cent were in favour, a tight result that didn't surprise Mr Anderson.

"I'd like to think I know my electorate pretty well after representing it for nine years, and I think the survey landed where it through it would," he said.

"My electorate asked me to vote this way and that's exactly what I did."

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Mr Anderson backed a number of amendments to the bill, including reducing the threshold for a second opinion to 20 weeks, rather than 22 - a proposal that was knocked back.

"I think 22 weeks is a bit too long during the pregnancy to then go we'll have an abortion with only one doctor's opinion," he said.

"I thought it needed to come back to 20 weeks. Experts were telling us 20 weeks was a benchmark."

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Barwon MP Roy Butler said he supported the bill, because it modernised the law and removed legal liability for doctors.

"I don't like abortions, I don't like that they are a feature of our society," he said.

"But they have been and will be continue to be a feature of our society, and if that's the case the rules should be modern and reflect community expectations."

Mr Butler said he was satisfied with the bill was put forward at the end of the amendment debate

"I think it struck the right balance," he said.

Mr Butler urged people not to listen to the "sensationalist" arguments put forward by lobby groups.

"This bill doesn't do anything to increase terminations," he said.

"The international data shows that terminations actually decrease with proper regulations, because people have more contact medical professions."

The bill will now be debated in the Upper House later this month, where it is expected to be passed.