ru-486 now 'just another drug' (kinda)

[maelorin]

Australia ends ban on 'abortion drug' RU-486
Thursday, February 16, 2006
David Shucosky at 12:10 PM ET

[JURIST] The Australian Parliament ended a de facto ban on the so-called "abortion drug" RU-486 (also known as Mifepristone) on Thursday by removing the need for approval by the Health Minister to use the drug. Tony Abbott, a strong anti-abortionist, had refused all applications for its use.

Last week, the Australian Senate voted 45-28 to end the approval requirement, and the measure cleared the House without a formal count. The Therapeutic Goods Association will now handle requests from doctors to prescribe the drug.

BBC News has more.

The Sydney Morning Herald has local coverage.

but the insanity hasn't ended. all manner of political websites and weblogs are being entertained by amateur commentators.

the 'debate' has been illuminating for the significant amount of smoke and mirrors in play. at least most politicians had a grasp of what they were actually voting on by the time the matter came to the final vote.

a positive sign, though lost under the hail of obfuscating misdirection.

Comments

[verdigriis.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was fascinating watching people trying to turn it into an abortion debate (which is wasn't, technically)... The dabate was really one of the means of abortion available to women, which at the end of the day is surely the purview of medical experts rather than religious nutball politicians.

You know the whole - "I can't stop them having abortions, but as health minister I hearby decree that all abortions will be conducted without anausthetic - which is dangerous! And using only sanctioned coat hangers. For women's own good, of course."