Calls for lift of abortion pill ban
The federal government is considering a proposal to lift the ban on RU486, a pill to induce early stage abortion. In 1996 under the Labour government, the then independent senator Brian Harradine introduced the ban. But recent calls from the Australian Medical community and the Australian democrats to overturn the ban, won support from prominent coalition MPs like Dr. Sharman Stone. Dr Stone says that the situation for pregnant women in rural Australia who want to abort is dangerous, due to inaccesibility to surgical abortions. In countries like France, New Zealand and the UK, there is already legislation in place that allows the use of the pill. RU486 is believed to be a safe alternative to surgical operations, but this has failed to convince the Catholic community and conservative MPs to support amendmends to the bill. The Wire’s Hagar Cohen has this report.