How MPs voted on abortion law reform

Sweeping reform of abortion law passed despite a dozen MPs switching their votes for the third and final reading this week.

The Abortion Legislation Bill passed on Wednesday by 68 votes to 51, a margin much narrower than in the first and second readings.

That was partly because NZ First MPs had previously voted in favour of the bill while a referendum on the issue was still possible.

A referendum amendment was voted down earlier this week, and NZ First MPs Darroch Ball, Shane Jones, Ron Mark, Clayton Mitchell, Mark Patterson, Winston Peters and Fletcher Tabuteau changed their votes to oppose the bill at the third reading.

National MPs Andrew Bayly, Matt King, Ian McKelvie, Tim van de Molen and Hamish Walker also changed their positions to oppose it.

National MP Stuart Smith voted 'yes' in the second reading but did not vote in the third reading.

Tracey Martin supported the bill, but Martin had to vote via proxy as she was at home in self-isolation. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

NZ First MPs Jenny Marcroft and Tracey Martin supported the bill, but Martin had to vote via proxy as she was at home in self-isolation.

She had spoken during the bill's first reading about a personal story she had wanted to share, but could not as she was obliged instead to talk about NZ First's position in support of a referendum.

That story was about Beverley Williams, Martin's mother's birth mother.

"She wasn't a perfect person. She abandoned her children when my mum was about 2," Martin told the Herald.

"We never met Beverley, and we didn't know what it happened to her until we went and found Beverley's grave.

"Just before her 30th birthday, she had a backstreet abortion down in Christchurch and died of toxaemia [blood poisoning by toxins]. And her older sister, Eunice, had died the year before from exactly the same thing."

She said that Beverley's fate was one of the reasons she supported the bill.

"My mum didn't have a mum because Beverly had to do what she needed to do on her own.

"All the statements about abortion being a lifestyle choice, well, women have died for years and years because their lives aren't perfect and they weren't able to bring that child into the world."

Martin said Beverley's story was uncovered after her sister had traced the family history and found one of Beverley's former co-workers.

"We started to find people who were still alive who had known her after she abandoned her kids."

They eventually found Beverley's and Eunice's unmarked graves in Christchurch, and put headstones on them.

Martin said she watched the progress of the abortion bill from her self-isolation at home.

"Jenny Marcroft knew I was watching, so every now and then she'd stand in front of the camera over the door and give me a thumbs up, and then she'd go and vote.

"I don't know whether I would have given a speech. I didn't realise until the first reading speech actually how emotional I was about this particular topic. I hate getting emotional, to be perfectly frank."

She said if she had spoken, she would have acknowledged her caucus for allowing its MPs to give conscience votes.

"I would also have said how tired I am of men standing up and giving speeches saying, 'I absolutely believe that women should have choice, I absolutely believe that women should be trusted - but.'

"Everything before the 'but' is BS."

What the bill changes

Currently, women need clearance from two doctors on grounds of mental or physical risk from day one to get an abortion. After 20 weeks an abortion currently needs to save the life of the woman.

The new law will mean there will be no legal test for earlier than 20 weeks. Any later and the medical practitioner performing the procedure will have to believe the abortion is clinically appropriate, having consulted at least one more qualified health practitioner.

Medical practitioners who don't comply would face consequences from their medical bodies, rather than under the Crimes Act.

It will still be illegal for an unqualified person to try to perform an abortion and causing the death of an unborn child by harming a pregnant woman would remain an offence.

Abortion Legislation: How they voted third reading

Yes:
Amy Adams
Kiri Allan
Ginny Andersen
Jacinda Ardern
David Bennett
Paula Bennett
Dan Bidois
Chris Bishop
David Carter
David Clark
Tamati Coffey
Judith Collins
Liz Craig
Clare Curran
Marama Davidson
Kelvin Davis
Matt Doocey
Ruth Dyson
Paul Eagle
Kris Faafoi
Andrew Falloon
Julie Anne Genter
Golriz Ghahraman
Peeni Henare
Chris Hipkins
Brett Hudson
Gareth Hughes
Raymond Huo
Willie Jackson
Nikki Kaye
Barbara Kuriger
Iain Lees-Galloway
Andrew Little
Jan Logie
Marja Lubeck
Jo Luxton
Trevor Mallard
Jenny Marcroft
Tracey Martin
Kieran McAnulty
Mark Mitchell
Stuart Nash
David Parker
Willow Jean Prime
Priyanca Radhakrishnan
Grant Robertson
Jami Lee Ross
Deborah Russell
Eugenie Sage
Carmel Sepuloni
David Seymour
James Shaw
Scott Simpson
Erica Stanford
Chloe Swarbrick
Jan Tinetti
Anne Tolley
Phil Twyford
Aupito William Sio
Nicky Wagner
Louisa Wall
Angie Warren-Clark
Duncan Webb
Poto Williams
Nicola Willis
Michael Wood
Megan Woods
Jian Yang

NO
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
Darroch Ball
Maggie Barry
Andrew Bayly
Simon Bridges
Simeon Brown
Gerry Brownlee
Jacqui Dean
Sarah Dowie
Paulo Garcia
Paul Goldsmith
Nathan Guy
Jo Hayes
Harete Hipango
Shane Jones
Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki
Matt King
Denise Lee
Melissa Lee
Agnes Loheni
Tim Macindoe
Nanaia Mahuta
Ron Mark
Todd McClay
Ian McKelvie
Clayton Mitchell
Todd Muller
Alfred Ngaro
Damien O'Connor
Greg O'Connor
Simon O'Connor
Parmjeet Parmar
Mark Patterson
Chris Penk
Winston Peters
Maureen Pugh
Shane Reti
Adrian Rurawhe
Jenny Salesa
Alastair Scott
Nick Smith
Jamie Strange
Rino Tirikatene
Louise Upston
Fletcher Tabuteau
Tim van de Molen
Hamish Walker
Meka Whaitiri
Michael Woodhouse
Jonathan Young
Lawrence Yule