Don’t get too carried away with the debate over RU486, the Prime
Minister warned the Coalition Party Room meeting yesterday.

Michelle Grattan writes today that sensible senators will answer their
conscience when the Senate votes on the issue tomorrow.
The doctors, not the minister, should decide the suitability of RU486,
she says:

Common sense will prevail in the Senate tomorrow, when it votes to
remove power over RU486 from the Health Minister, so that it is
evaluated in the same way as any other drug.

The numbers in this free vote are thought to be tighter in the House,
where MPs are bracing for the lobbying to intensify, if that’s possible.

Extraordinary emotion is surrounding what should be a debate simply
over who is better placed to decide whether the drug is safe to be
allowed in – the minister or the technical experts…

For extraordinary emotion check out the full page, full colour, right hand side ad in The Australian
today placed by (anonymous) body “Australians against RU486”:

RU486 WILL PROBABLY KILL ONLY A FEW AUSTRALIAN WOMEN.

IS THAT OK WITH YOU, SENATOR?

No. There are more important things for Coalition members to fight over.
Like stem cell research.