buter's BABY blog

A little while ago I tried to write a complete post about the RU486 controversy in Australia. The story goes like this:

1. Drug availability in Australia is generally regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration
2. The Federal Health Minister, (currently Tony Abbott), has veto power over "restricted goods" of which one happens to be RU486
3. The aforementioned RU486 induces abortion
4. Proposed legislation before Federal Parliament would remove the Health Minister's veto power, effectively giving the TGA final say over introduction of all drugs, not just the "non-restricted" ones.

Add some content-free media circus performers and you get
Conclusion: Tony Abbot wants to have a say in abortion.

Does anyone else see the problem with this? As Buffy said, "your logic does not resemble our Earth logic".

Anyway my original post was going to be some pithy remarks about how the TGA is best placed to make decisions on drugs, and it should *never* be in parliamentary hands because at least the TGA has a better chance of finding out the real science behind the drugs where the MPs are influenced by/able to cast blame on the amorphous mass of "public opinion" or "the electorate" or "lobby groups" (or "plain pig-headedness"). And that the debate was not, and never was, about whether the Government Controls Abortion, and the planned usage of any particular drug shouldn't even be considered in the debate.

Luckily it was all over by the time I had barely started the post, so I never had to try to finish it or massage it into some kind of shape suitable for publishing. And the decision? That the TGA should make the final decision about drug introduction to the Australian market. And all thanks to those level-headed politicians who actually seemed to be voting in the best interests of the country rather than today's favourite lobby group. (I'm not referring to Tony Abbot, of course).

But! It seems that the aforementioned media circus has finally realised this! At least - they have finally published some comments from real medical professionals saying that RU486 is not about abortion, it's about more control over reproduction, and by the way that parliamentary debate wasn't about RU486 at all so can we please just get on with it?

Ahh. It's times like these I wonder if I really need a blog. The world seems to be able to sort itself out without me.