Perth, Australia, Feb 9, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Australian Senate has voted in favor of the bill that would deny the Federal Health Minister a veto on the controversial RU-486 abortion drug.
The vote earlier this week was a setback for pro-life groups, who are hoping next week's vote in the House of Representatives will reject the bill.
Clare Pike, executive director of the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Perth, said she believes that many of the men and women in the Senate “do not realize what they are doing because they are suffering from the trauma of abortion themselves.”
She said Senator Allison’s testimony about her own abortion was a good example of this
Pike warned the lower house: "The House of Representatives should note that men and women, such as Senator Allison, need compassion as people, not sympathy for an ideology that is empty and damaging for women."
Meanwhile, the Australian Catholic Students Association, the Muslim Students Association and the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students have vowed to fight on despite the Senate vote.
The students associations reissued a joint statement against the bill to all members of the House of Representatives.