The Guardian 22 February, 2006
Editorial
Something to cheer about
Last week’s overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives to strip Health Minister Tony Abbott of his power to determine the use of the abortion pill RU 486 was a very important victory for women’s rights and for science. It was equally a significant defeat for the religious and conservative right and racists in top political circles. The vote gives the appropriate regulatory body, the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), the right to determine the release of the abortion pill to the medical fraternity for use by women who may choose to have an abortion.
Those who were against the legislation in the House of Representatives, when the vote finally came, did not push their opposition to an open vote but accepted the vote "on the voices". A vote by way of a division would have made clear the stand being taken by individual politicians while a vote on the voices obscured the stand of some.
In the Senate, the vote was about 2 to 1 in support of the legislation. Members of the House of Representatives seem to have voted in the same proportion.
An attempt by opponents of the legislation to push an amendment which pretended to give Parliament a say but which in effect left Tony Abbott in control was seen as a shoddy manoeuvre. It was also overwhelmingly defeated.
In the run-up to the House of Representatives vote, the media continually pushed the line that the vote would be close; a device that was intended to give encouragement to those who wanted to maintain the status quo. In fact support for the legislation was overwhelming.
The vote showed that many politicians, even those who are members of the Liberal and National Parties, can adopt a progressive stand on social issues when given an opportunity to study the facts for themselves and have a free vote.
It would be easy but wrong to attribute all the conservative vote as coming from Catholics and the Catholic Church. At the same time, a number who declared their Catholicism voted for the right of women to choose. Some, such as PM Howard who sided with Tony Abbott, are members of the Anglican Church. This is not to dismiss the role played by right-wing religion but to see the motivations of those who voted in all their complexities.
None-the-less, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church (Archbishop Pell) and rabid religious conservatives, who are opposed to abortion under any circumstances, opposed the legislation.
There was an element of overt racism making up the conservative vote as demonstrated by the ignorant remarks of Dana Vale. Her anti-Muslim remarks were even too extreme for other conservatives in the Coalition parties. But her racist comments drew only the mildest of criticism from the Prime Minister showing that the anti-Islam campaign is a part of the current government’s agenda.
The outcome, however, is a very welcome development and a serious defeat for social conservatism, the religious right and the racists and it may have a spin-off on other issues as time goes on. It shows that there is a sizeable body of opinion that, when given a chance, will support progressive policies.
Federal government leaders are continuing their campaign against abortion by providing $50 million to set up advisory church bodies for women who are thinking of having an abortion. It is easy to anticipate the advice coming from the Catholic Church — "Thou shalt not!".
The vote on RU 486 comes at a time when the government is on the ropes over the AWB corruption scandal and there are emerging divisions between the Liberal and National Parties. The accumulating effects of these and other issues causing discontent among the ranks of the government coalition parties could provide the circumstances for the defeat of the government.
In the meantime all progressives can savour the RU 486 vote as a significant vote for progressive social attitudes and for science in that the development of medical science is a part of the onward march of a scientific understanding generally.