By ninemsn staff and wires
Senators will today decide whether to strip Health Minister Tony Abbott of his control over abortion pill RU486.
Most plan to vote in favour of new legislation which would hand Mr Abbott's power to veto any decision on the drug to medical experts at the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), according to a poll in The Australian.
But the private member's bill is expected to hit trouble when the House of Representatives votes on the issue next week.
Prime Minister John Howard yesterday gave his strongest indication yet that he will oppose the change, sparking angry claims he was trying to influence today's conscience vote.
Later, during emotional debate on the issue in the Senate, several politicians made extraordinary revelations about their personal experiences with abortion.
One of the bill's sponsors, Australian Democrats leader Lyn Allison, told parliament she had had an abortion, and staunch anti-abortionist and senior government minister Nick Minchin admitted a former girlfriend had aborted their child.
"I am alarmed by the number of pregnancies that are terminated. I bring to this debate personal experience in that a former girlfriend of mine had an abortion when we were in a monogamous relationship, and I cannot divorce that experience in my life from this consideration," Mr Minchin was quoted as saying in The Age.
Senator Allison said: "An estimated one-in-three women have had an abortion and I am one of those."
She said Mr Howard's comments were unhelpful and hoped undecided politicians would not be influenced by the prime minister's stance.
"It is galling listening to the men — and it is mostly men — who have such contempt for women who terminate unwanted pregnancies, who have neither the compassion nor the understanding of the huge, and for many daunting, task of taking an embryo the size of a grain or rice to adulthood."
Mr Howard argued control of the drug should stay with those who are accountable to the public.
"I've never been one, incidentally, who believes it makes much sense to devote an enormous amount of time and energy and commitment of one's life to win election to parliament, and to the high office of decision making, and then to spend the next stage of life busily handing over decisions to people who are not accountable," he said.
Despite his comments, Liberal senator Gary Humphries, who chaired a committee probing the bill, believes RU486 supporters have the numbers to get the proposed laws through parliament.
Late last night, Mr Humphries and fellow Liberal senator Guy Barnett put forward changes to the bill which would effectively give parliament the last word on RU486.
A Senate committee report handed down yesterday shied away from taking a firm stand on the bill, instead calling for more funding for abortion counselling and support services.
Mr Abbott, a staunch Catholic, rejected claims that his opposition to the drug was dictated by his religious beliefs.
"One of the things which has very much disappointed me about this debate is the suggestion that there is a problem with ministerial decision making here, because as a Catholic I can't be trusted to make an objective decision," Mr Abbott said.
"Why is it that in some way a Catholic health minister is regarded as uniquely disqualified from making these decisions?
"There is a nasty element of religious stereotyping coming into this, and I really think there should be no place in this debate for that."
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