Australia votes to ease access to abortion pill

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2006

SYDNEY (AFP) — Australia's parliament voted to strip the conservative government of its right to veto women's access to the controversial abortion pill RU486.

In a rare conscience vote, the House of Representatives backed a bill which overturns an effective ban on the drug by removing control of its use from Health Minister Tony Abbott, a strict Catholic and abortion opponent.

The vote supported a senate decision last week to put use of the RU486 pill in the hands of the state medical regulatory body, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Many government MPs and senators broke ranks with Prime Minister John Howard, who had wanted the health minister to retain control.

While used in many countries, RU486 has been effectively banned in Australia...