NSW Upper House defeats sex-selective abortion bill

The NSW Upper House defeated a bill to prohibit sex-selective abortion on September 16. The Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Sex Selection Prohibition) Bill 2025, introduced by John Ruddick, failed its second reading with a vote of 21 to 16.

The legislation sought to ban abortions performed based on the sex of an unborn child. The bill relied on a study from researchers at Edith Cowan University and Curtin University, which reported that birth ratios among certain migrant populations in NSW and Western Australia were significantly male-biased and exceeded the biological norm of 1.05.

Pro-life activist Dr. Joanna Howe spoke to supporters during a rally outside parliament held the day before the vote. Howe noted that the bill fell short of the necessary votes and stated that the growing number of protesters indicated the electoral importance of abortion issues ahead of the state election in March.