Choice Ireland

Excerpt from The (Melbourne) Age newspaper
www.theage.com.au

October 11, 2008

ABORTION has been legalised in Victoria.

Just after 10.30 last night, a historic vote in State Parliament gave women the right to choose to have an abortion free from the threat of criminal prosecution.

The conscience vote of upper house MPs prompted tears of joy from veteran pro-choice campaigners, including Jo Wainer, in the public gallery.

Former Labor premier Joan Kirner hailed the vote as a victory for women after a 35-year campaign to take abortion out of the Crimes Act.

But the 23 to 17 vote for decriminalisation was also greeted with cries of "You've got blood on your hands" from anti-abortion protesters.

Four pro-life activists were forcibly evicted from the public gallery amid angry and emotional scenes. They condemned the vote as a green light for "state-sanctioned baby killing" and vowed to continue their vocal campaign.