Health minister is stripped of his right to veto use of abortion pill

The abortion pill mifepristone (known as RU486) is to become available for the first time in Australia after a contentious parliamentary debate that saw the federal health minister stripped of his power to veto the use of the drug. In a rare conscience vote after three days of heated argument, MPs in the House of Representatives voted in favour of a bill giving the drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the power of approval. The prime minister, John Howard, opposed the move, saying: “To suggest that this drug RU486 is just another drug is patently absurd, …