Santo clause

From the ABC:

Senator Santo Santoro is circulating a plan among his Coalition colleagues and other parties suggesting that the number of abortions could be reduced by allowing pregnant women to have a Medicare-funded ultrasound.

Senator Santo Santoro also wants Medicare to pay for women to have counselling and to get an information package sanctioned by the Health Minister.

An ultrasound is a diagnostic procedure. What is it diagnosing here? What are the implications of allowing Medicare funding of diagnostic procedures for non-diagnostic purposes?

As far as I know, clinics and providers who perform abortion routinely offer counselling. Some, for legal or other reasons, require it.

The best bit of the report, however, is this:

Despite advocating the changes, Senator Santoro says he does not intend to introduce a private member's bill on abortion.

He wants these issues considered by a private member's bill, just not one he puts forward. That's what I call having courage in your convictions.