"When you're scared, is when you have to stand up. When you are going to be shouted down, is when you’ve gotta speak up. And it's when there is total darkness, is when you will light one candle and start making a difference. Tonight, all you people… you are part of this." "If someone says, 'Well I want my right to kill that baby' – sorry you can't have that right." Protesters cheered at his speech as they held aloft crosses, pictures of Jesus and signs saying 'stand for life'. Anti-abortion protesters in Martin Place on Tuesday night have rallied to make their voices heard. Credit:Wolter Peeters 'A crisis of government'

The delay, designed to placate furious MPs who believed the process had been rushed, means the bitter debate over abortion decriminalisation will continue for weeks. The former minister for women, Tanya Davies, said the issue had caused a "crisis of government". "I believe it is a crisis of government that we are facing, because my community is absolutely outraged that they have been shut out and denied any opportunity to participate in this process," Ms Davies said. Later when asked if she would consider defecting to the crossbench, Ms Davies said she was focused on efforts to amend the bill in the upper house. She said she would not "hypothesise" on the future if the bill was not amended.

"It is a good sign that the Premier has hit the pause button because I have never received so many texts, emails, calls to my personal phone, flowers over an issue," Ms Davies said. Several sources said the delay may not be enough to calm the anger within the Liberal party room. One senior source said: "I really feel for Gladys because she had to do something and delay it as long as possible to work out what to do. But I do think there is a play to destabilise her." Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday. Credit:Nick Moir Another said: "I believe the Premier is trying to get the best outcome but the Minister for Health needs to hang his head in shame for tying the government to this bill.

"Clearly the community is devouring everything that is written on this issue because it is so important to them and we absolutely have to get it right." Loading Ms Davies was one of six Liberal MPs who fronted a multi-party press conference on Tuesday morning, organised by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, to voice their anger at what they say has been a rushed process to fast-track the bill through parliament. "I'm very concerned - and I've raised it with the Premier directly - that we are undermining our ability as a government to prosecute our agenda with what we've done with this bill," Liberal MLC Matthew Mason-Cox said. Ms Berejiklian also assured her colleagues in a party room meeting on Tuesday that there would be no more conscience votes in this term of government.

Another key social issue that was due to be debated in this four year term was voluntary assisted dying. Loading It is understood her colleagues have also demanded that no government MPs will be involved in cross-party working groups again, as was the case with the abortion bill. Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock were co-sponsors of the bill along with National and Liberal MPs. Independent MP Alex Greenwich, who introduced the bill into the lower house, said he was "disappointed" with the delay.