Welcome to your regular Reproductive Choice Australia update.
We need your help
Although Christmas is fast approaching there is a few things that we can do to help in the campaign to give Australians greater reproductive choice.
1. Sign the petition to Get Politics Out of Medicine and forward the link to at least five friends so we can reach the target of 10 000 signatures. Sign the petition here www.getup.org.au/campaign/GetPoliticsOutOfMedicine
2. Make a submission to the Inquiry into the bill that will rightly return the right of approval for RU486 to the Therapeutic Goods Association not the Health Minister. An update on the inquiry and details on how to make a submission are below.
3. Be ready to respond to direct requests from Reproductive Choice Australia to help lobby our parliamentarians to vote yes to this important piece of legislation in the New Year.
RU486 Legislation Update
As you are probably aware a cross-party group of Senators (Fiona Nash (Nat), Judith Troeth (Lib), Lyn Allison (Dem) and Claire Moore (ALP)) introduced a Bill entitled Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of Ministerial responsibility for approval of RU486) Bill 2005 into parliament last week. This Bill aims to remove the power the Health Minister currently possesses to approve or ban RU486 and return this power to the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). This reverses the 1996 amendments to the Therapeutic Good Act where RU486 was placed into a special group of drugs named ‘restricted goods’ because of its abortifacient properties. RU486 is the only drug that is subject to this need for Ministerial approval before it can even be evaluated, registered, listed or imported by the TGA.
The Senate’s Community Affairs Legislation Committee is holding an Inquiry into the legislation. It is heavily stacked by anti-choice Senators. The voting membership of the committee is as follows:
Gary Humphries (Lib)
Guy Barnett (Lib)
Steven Fielding (Family First)
Helen Polley (ALP)
Judith Adams (Lib)
Claire Moore (ALP)
The public has been invited to make submissions to the inquiry. The closing date for submissions is Monday 16 January 2006. Three hearing dates have been set: Thursday 15 December 2005, Friday 3 and Monday 6 February 2006. The inquiry is set to table its report in parliament on Wednesday 8 February.
Details of the inquiry and how to make submissions can be found here http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/clac_ctte/ru486/index.htm. RCA will distribute further information and ideas for the content of submissions early next week.
Media
Conscience vote on abortion drug
December 6, 2005 – 7:21PM
SMH
Government senators will be allowed a conscience vote on the banned abortion drug RU486 next year, with Prime Minister John Howard today outlining how the coalition would approach the issue.
Mr Howard promised Government backbenchers last week that they would have a free vote on the issue after Health Minister Tony Abbott ruled out overturning an effective ban on the drug.
The Australian Democrats had planned to force a vote on the issue before the end of this year by moving an amendment to the next Therapeutic Goods Administration bill.
But Mr Howard told a meeting of Government MPs and senators this morning that the amendment would be debated next year, along with a private member’s bill to be put up by an as yet unnamed government senator.
“The Government’s proposal is to have both the TGA amendment and the private member’s bill debated together in the new year, and the two votes taken almost simultaneously,” a party room spokesman said.
The private member’s bill would be voted on first, with a conscience vote for all Government senators.
If it was carried, the amendment would be unnecessary and would be withdrawn.
If the private member’s bill failed, a vote would be taken on the amendment – with senators expected to take the Government line.
Mr Abbott, a devout Catholic, wants the ban on RU486 maintained, but last week said he was happy to see the matter determined by a conscience vote.
Health department advice has warned RU486 could be dangerous for women in rural and remote areas because its use requires strict medical supervision and access to emergency care.
Under Australian laws initiated by retired pro-life senator Brian Harradine in 1996, women wanting access to RU486 have to apply through their doctor for approval from Mr Abbott.
The Democrats amendment would give the approval power to medical experts at the Therapeutic Goods Authority instead of Mr Abbott.
Democrats Leader Lyn Allison said the move represented a win for her party and all Australian women.
She said the Democrats had been campaigning for a change to the law for some time.
“I think we have much to be proud of – the Democrats and women in this place in getting to this point,” Senator Allison said.
“This is a very big win for women. I think it could have been dealt with this week, we’re dealing with a lot of legislation which is not time-imperative and most of it unnecessary anyway.
“But I am pleased that the prime minister has seen fit to agree on a timeframe for doing it.
“February’s better than later in the year and certainly better than nothing.”
She said she was confident that the private member’s bill would succeed.
“I am confident, it’s my understanding that even those members and senators who may have an objection to abortion will see this as an appropriate choice for women,” Senator Allison said.
“And so I expect we will secure their vote and the numbers will see the passage of these changes.”
But she was unsure as to which senator would sponsor the private member’s bill.
Senator Allison hopes the move will bring about further reforms relating to abortion, including the removal of abortion from the criminal code.
She specifically called on Victorian Premier Steve Bracks to listen to his own health minister and ensure terminations were no longer a crime in his state.
“There are still some campaigns to be fought and won on this issue for women to make sure that that choice is available to them in all sorts of circumstances, so I am not saying this is the end of the struggle,” Senator Allison said.
She also wants to see buffer zones around clinics conducting abortions and a guarantee that emergency contraception is available at every pharmacy.
“I think there are a whole range of measures that we can now start looking at that will improve the choices for women,” Senator Allison said.
“It’s just the beginning.”
AAP
Abortion drug sparks Abbott-ousting bill
December 8, 2005 – 10:34AM
SMH
A bill to strip the health minister of his power over the use of abortion pill RU486 has been introduced to the Senate.
Nationals senator Fiona Nash introduced the private members bill on behalf of herself, Liberal senator Judith Troeth, Democrats senator Lyn Allison, and Labor senator Claire Moore.
Prime Minister John Howard last week said he would allow a conscience vote on whether the pill should be banned.
The bill would amend the Therapeutic Goods Act to hand responsibility for approval of use of the drug to the Therapeutic Goods Administration rather than the Health Minister, Tony Abbott.
Mr Abbott, a devout Catholic, wants the ban on RU486 maintained, but last week said he was happy to see the matter determined by a conscience vote.
Health department advice has warned RU486 could be dangerous for women in rural and remote areas because its use requires strict medical supervision and access to emergency care.
Under Australian laws initiated by retired pro-life senator Brian Harradine in 1996, women wanting access to RU486 have to apply through their doctor for approval from Mr Abbott.
Family First senator Steve Fielding tried to force a vote on the introduction of the bill, but had no support for the move, and failed.
His vote against the introduction of the laws to the upper house was recorded.
Senator Nash said the TGA had the know-how to make decisions about the drug and should do so.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration has the knowledge and expertise to conduct the evaluation of RU486 for quality, safety and efficacy,” she said in a speech accompanying the bill.
“That is why the TGA has been entrusted to evaluate more than 50,000 therapeutic goods that have already come before it.”
The bill has been referred to a Senate committee to be examined, with a report due to go to the Senate in February.
Nationals Senate leader Ron Boswell told parliament he had not opposed the motion to introduce the bill because he wanted to see the issue thoroughly debated.
But Senator Boswell said he and other senators, including Barnaby Joyce, Julian McGauran and Guy Barnett among others, would oppose the bill when it came to a final vote.
“I don’t think there has ever been a bill that was opposed on its first reading and its introduction,” Senator Boswell said.
“Even the (introduction of the) IR bill was not opposed by the Labor Party.
“The best chance that we have of defeating this bill is to take it to a committee and have the dangers of RU486 exposed.”
Senator Boswell said he did not want people to think Family First was the only party to oppose the bill.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said he welcomed Senator Boswell’s comments.
“As a person who supports this legislation I back up what Senator Boswell said,” he said.
“There are people here who will oppose it but who have followed proper parliamentary process in allowing the bill to come into the parliament, whereupon due parliamentary process can take care of it.
“I think it was a little naive of Senator Fielding to not understand that but he is a new senator in the place.”
© 2005 AAP
Senator denies committee stacked with abortion drug critics
ABC News
13 December 2005
The head of the Senate committee inquiring into the abortion drug RU-486 denies it is weighted against moves to make the medication freely available in Australia.
The inquiry is examining a private member’s bill seeking to have control of the drug returned to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
The Senate’s community affairs legislation committee will advertise for public submissions tomorrow and hold the first of three planned hearing days on Thursday.
Its chairman, Senator Gary Humphries, says the scope of the inquiry is yet to be determined but he has rejected suggestions that the committee is stacked with critics of the bill.
“I don’t understand that criticism frankly because the committee has been in existence for a long time,” he said.
“It was formed at the beginning of this Parliament before anyone could possibly have imagined that the issue of RU-486 would be referred to it.
“So no, the committee hasn’t been stacked, far from it.”
Senator Humphries has admitted it will be difficult to keep the inquiry from turning into one on abortion.
“At one level this legislation is quite straightforward and very simple, but of course it’s already very controversial,” he said.
Dr Leslie Cannold from Reproductive Choice Australia is concerned the inquiry will run widely out of control.
“The worry is that they’re going to turn it into some kind of referendum on abortion,” Dr Cannold said.
“I think we should worry about it because the intent in doing that is for them to delay the vote.”
That is a concern shared by Democrats leader Lyn Allison, who is one of the sponsors of the bill.
“My guess is it’ll be … it’ll be a broad inquiry rather than a narrow one,” she said.
But Nationals Senator Fiona Nash, who is another sponsor of the private members bill, is confident that will not happen.
“I have no reason to doubt it’ll be a very balanced approach,” she said.
The inquiry is due to report back in February.
Conscience vote on abortion pill delayed
SMH
December 10, 2005 – 4:59PM
Pro-choice advocates remain unconvinced no deal was done between Family First and the government to delay an upcoming conscience vote on the abortion pill RU486.
Reproductive Choice Australia, a coalition of more than 20 organisations, on Saturday called on Prime Minister John Howard to make good on his promise the RU486 vote will take place in the first sitting week of parliament next year.
Family First Senator Fielding stunned observers by giving the government the extra vote it needed on Friday to implement its ban on compulsory student union fees.
Despite at the time not being able to recall whether RU486 had been discussed on Friday with Mr Howard, Senator Fielding has denied a deal was done to secure his vote on the voluntary student unionism (VSU) bill.
The anti-abortion senator on Saturday clarified he was “in and out” of committee meetings during the day and confirmed one of them was on the RU486.
However, he said he had not discussed legislation relating to the drug with the prime minister or his staff.
Under current laws initiated by retired pro-life senator Brian Harradine in 1996, women wanting access to RU486 have to apply through their doctor for approval from Health Minister Tony Abbott.
NSW Nationals senator Fiona Nash last week introduced a private member’s bill which would hand responsibility for approval of use of the drug to the Therapeutic Goods Administration rather than Mr Abbott.
Mr Howard last week said he would allow a conscience vote on whether the pill should be banned.
The government on Thursday referred the bill to a Senate inquiry, which will report back to parliament by early February.
But pro-choice advocates suspect a backroom deal between the government and pro-life Family First after the Senate Community Affairs Committee extended its inquiry from one day in Canberra, to three around the country.
Reproductive Choice Australia spokeswoman Cait Calcutt said the government had dealt away a matter of critical importance to Australian women for the vote of an independent senator.
“We’re outraged and astounded that the government would dare trade women’s health away in yet another sneaky backroom deal,” Ms Calcutt said.
The coalition includes Sexual Health & Family Planning Australia, Children by Choice, the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australian Women’s Health Network, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, and all state based pro-choice coalitions.
Health department advice has warned RU486 could be dangerous for women in rural and remote areas because its use requires strict medical supervision and access to emergency care.
Ministers to shape abortion-curbing plan
December 12, 2005 – 5:44AM
SMH
Federal ministers will examine a pregnancy support package aimed at curbing the abortion rate.
The package, approved in principle by cabinet, will make pregnancy counselling a Medicare item and create a help hotline for women.
Ministers will meet on Monday to discuss details of the support package, Fairfax newspapers said.
Health Minister Tony Abbott proposed the measures in a bid to reduce abortions.
But Mr Abbott’s attempt to lift the ban on the abortion drug RU486 has backfired.
Parliament next year will consider a private members Bill over the abortion drug and remove ministerial control.
Abortion drug inquiry chief to stay focused on topic
ABC 15/12/05
A Senate inquiry into the availability of the abortion drug RU-486 in Australia has started its first public hearings.
The Senate committee is considering whether approval for the drug should rest with the Health Minister or the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Inquiry chairman ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries says he will be taking an open mind into the hearings, despite opposing the drug.
Senator Humphries says he will make sure the inquiry remains focused on its main task without becoming a wider debate on abortion.
“It’s impossible for there not to be discussion I think, before the committee, about broader issues to deal with the use of the drug and abortion in Australia,” he said.
“But it is important to keep bringing the inquiry back to the point that this is an issue of who makes the decision, rather than what should the decision that they make be.”
The committee has been hearing evidence from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) that says health risks associated with RU-486 are acceptably low and decisions on its availability should be made by the TGA.
“The need for evaluation of products has to be done at arm’s length from the Government,” AMA president Mukesh Haikerwal said.
Family First Senator Steve Fielding has referred to the controversial drug RU-486 as a “do-it yourself” abortion.
Senator Fielding has questioned the AMA and representatives from the Health Department about what guidelines would be provided to women to deal with foetuses aborted at home.
“We heard this morning from the AMA that people could be able to take the drug at home, which is effectively do-it-yourself abortions,” he said.
Nationals Senator Ron Boswell is worried about the drug’s use in rural and remote areas.
“The worst possible way to have an abortion,” he said.
The AMA says the drug should not be used in areas where follow-up care is not available.
Abbott
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says it would be inappropriate to allow Health Department public servants to decide if RU-486 should be publicly available.
A conscience vote on the issue will take place in the New Year.
Mr Abbott says politicians are democratically accountable and therefore better placed to make moral judgments than public servants.
“They have a better idea of the scientific arguments but in the end it’s not just the science that should determine our decision on these matters,” he said.
“There’s a whole range of ethical and social considerations which are important here.”
Aussies fly overseas to get banned abortion pill
By Erin O’Dwyer
December 4, 2005
Australian women are travelling to New Zealand to access the banned medical abortion drug RU486 to avoid invasive surgical terminations.
Leading obstetrician Caroline de Costa, from James Cook University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said several pregnant women had travelled to Auckland and Wellington for medical abortions and one woman had travelled to Britain.
Professor de Costa, who last week briefed federal MPs in Canberra on the issue, said the drug had been safely used by thousands of women in the US, Britain and much of Western Europe, as well as hundreds of women in New Zealand.
She described the current situation as “ridiculous”, and compared it with Irish women being forced to travel to Britain to access legal abortions.
“If it were not available here and if it became more widely available in New Zealand, we would see more Australian women travelling to New Zealand to take advantage of the drug,” Professor de Costa said.
The drug, also known as mifepristone, has been banned in Australia since 1996.
The ban was the result of a deal between the Government and pro-life senator Brian Harradine that enabled the Health Minister to override the Therapeutic Goods Administration approval of the drug’s importation.
A push by the Australian Democrats to overturn the ban has prompted Prime Minister John Howard to allow backbenchers a conscience vote on the issue, expected in February.
The drug was legalised in New Zealand in 2001 and is now available in about 10 hospitals and abortion clinics. It is routinely used for mid- to late-term terminations.
About 18,000 abortions are performed in New Zealand each year, with about 15 per cent opting for medical terminations.
The cost is about $1000 at private clinics but procedures are free at public hospitals and associated clinics. The procedure uses tablets to end an early pregnancy. Treatment requires two visits, two days apart.
A surgical termination at a private clinic in Sydney costs from $320 and takes about half a day.
WHERE IT’S SOLD
Medical termination using RU486 is available to women in:
Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Britain, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guyana, India, Israel, Latvia, Moldova, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
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