The House of Representatives today passed legislation removing the Health Minister’s power of veto over the approval of the abortion drug, RU486. This means that RU486 will be subject to the same controls as any other drug, that is, approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Opponents of abortion used the debate as a debate on abortion. What really surprised me was the Senate margin last week, and in particular the overwhelming vote of women senators, 21 to 3 I think it was. The surprise to me was in thinking the Senate would be more conservatively minded than it showed itself to be in this vote. I believe the overwhelming vote of the women in favour of the Ministerial veto being removed (effectively lifting a ban on availability of the drug) says it all.

As for it being a vote about choice, the choice to have an abortion already exists in Australia. RU486 gives women an alternative to surgical abortion. It remains for most a difficult and traumatic decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. RU486 does not remove this trauma.