Bill Debate · In Committee
Senate · Monday 3 November 2025
Official Hansard for this day (APH) · Read this debate on OpenAustralia
The Senate considered amendments to the Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya's) Bill 2025 during committee stage. Senators from Pauline Hanson's One Nation and the Liberal Party moved amendments to exclude cases involving intentional termination of pregnancy from the bill's provisions. A further amendment was proposed to allow exceptions where termination was necessary to protect the mother's health. All proposed amendments were defeated in divisions.
Three divisions were held on the amendments, with all being defeated.
Summary in reported speech - not a transcript. AI-generated, so check the official record before quoting.
Opened the debate
Roberts moved an amendment to insert exclusions into section 333X of the bill. The proposed text stated that the section would not apply if a child was stillborn or died due to an intentional termination of pregnancy, other than by childbirth. Roberts defined intentional termination to include medical terminations involving drugs.
Antic moved two amendments to clarify that references to the death of a child did not include deaths resulting from intentional pregnancy termination. The proposed text specified that intentional termination included medical interventions but excluded childbirth or interventions for children who died of natural causes in the womb.
Canavan sought leave to move an amendment to Antic's proposal. Canavan argued that the amendment should include an exception for cases where termination was required to protect the health of the mother. The amendment aimed to add this health protection clause to the end of the proposed subsection.
Brockman indicated that the amendment moved by Antic would be put to the vote unless another senator objected. Brockman facilitated the procedural step to bring the amendment to a division.