John Howard has finally shown some spine by telling his Health Minister, Tony Abbott, to pull in his head regarding the abortion issue.
Mr Howard yesterday issued a veiled warning to Mr Abbott to keep his personal views on abortion separate from his running of the health portfolio."An individual is entitled to express their views, providing they don't in any way administer their policy responsibilities in a way that conflicts with Government policy," Mr Howard said.
And it looks like a private member's bill mightn't be on the cards after all ....
Despite having last week left the door open for MPs to introduce a private member's bill on abortion, Mr Howard said yesterday that he did not expect this to happen when Federal Parliament resumed tomorrow.
From wimpy equivocation to strong direction in a little over two weeks. The opinion polling results must have come in.
Opinion polls or not, there's been no clammer from the public for change on this issue. Howard rightly realises that the issue would cause a divisive debate in sections of the community, one that wouldn't change the other side's views on the issue.
The current arrangements leave the subject up to the individual to decide. It's best left that way.
