Anti-abortion campaigner clashes with senior Liberal at meeting
A Liberal Women's Council meeting has become a flash point for the ideological rift plaguing the South Australian party as a prominent anti-abortion campaigner clashed with the former deputy premier.
Joanna Howe, an anti-abortion campaigner, faced opposition from Vickie Chapman, a senior Liberal Party member, during a Women's Council meeting in South Australia. Howe was granted permission to record her address at the meeting, but Chapman objected, leading to a vote where Howe was allowed to proceed. The issue was seen as a reflection of the ideological divide within the party, with Senator Alex Antic expected to become the state president.
Howe, an expert on labour laws and a former Labor Party member, was invited as a guest speaker despite not being a party member. She expressed her discontent with Chapman's actions, calling her and her supporters "witches" for their role in decriminalising abortion in South Australia. Chapman, who led the push for abortion reform, maintained that the outcome was a victory for her cause.
The Liberal Women's Council, an official organization, voted on its new leadership and delegates for the party's State Council, with Antic-backed candidates winning the majority. The party's conservatives are expected to strengthen their position in the upcoming leadership elections.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
