Human Cloning Farms Gathers Momentum in Australia*

Apr 19th, 2007 6:47 AM

Peter Ker
April 19, 2007

AUSTRALIA - FIFTEEN members of State Parliament crossed the floor as a
Bracks Government push to legalise therapeutic cloning was supported in
the lower house.

Members of the Labor Government, the Liberal Party and the Nationals
voted against party colleagues last night as a conscience vote supported
the stem-cell draft legislation by 58 votes to 25 votes.

The Liberal Party was the most divided, with 10 members including leader
Ted Baillieu, his deputy Louise Asher and former leader Denis Napthine
all crossing to vote with the bulk of the Government in favour of the
new laws.

Sports Minister James Merlino, Christine Campbell and Tammy Lobato
opposed the bill, as expected, and were joined by their Labor colleague
Colin Brooks.

Benalla MP Bill Sykes was the only National Party member to support the
motion, which went to the committee stage last night and, if passed, is
expected to find a path through the upper house more difficult.

Introduced last month by Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, the legislation
would allow Victorian scientists to clone human embryos for medical
research through somatic cell nuclear transfer, commonly known as
therapeutic cloning.

Scientists would be able to take the nucleus from an adult skin cell,
insert it in an unfertilised egg and then use the resultant embryonic
stem cells for medical purposes.

Scientists believe the research could help fight degenerative diseases
such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cystic fibrosis.

The conscience vote came after an emotion-charged marathon debate, which
lasted close to eight hours across two sitting days.

Despite calls from Melbourne's Catholic and Anglican archbishops for MPs
to oppose the legislation, Ms Pike used the final speech before the vote
to argue that religious faith could be a reason to support the legislation.

"Religious texts consistently exhort human beings to have a far more
sophisticated expression of living … real life to me is about reaching
out to potential," she said.

"I think we have an obligation to nurture a much fuller expression of
life, a higher quality of life."

But Liberal member for Malvern Michael O'Brien said he could not support
the legislation, despite its potential to treat "old afflictions".

"This bill does represent an instance of our grasp of the possible
exceeding our ethical reach; accordingly I'm unable to support it," he said.

"This bill commits the creation of embryos for the specific purpose of
their research and their destruction … motive does matter, intent is
important."

Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said his support was "a commitment
to hope" for people with degenerative diseases.

"Life without hope is mere existence," he said.

Mr Pallas said legislators should rule with concern for life, rather
than "the potential for life".

Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the conscience vote was difficult for
all MPs.

"But I believe the most difficult decisions are the ones worth making,"
he said.

"As a son, as a brother, as a husband and most of all as a father, I
believe I owe it to my children to do what I can to ensure they never
need fear some of the diseases that currently stalk human existence,
which is why I support this bill."

Liberal member for Mornington David Morris said the legislation would be
the "quantum leap of the 21st century" and would be the modern
equivalent of the discovery of penicillin.

But Nationals member for Shepparton Jeanette Powell opposed the bill,
saying there was a lack of research and it had been introduced too
hastily to allow proper consideration.

That opinion was rejected by Mental Health Minister Lisa Neville, who
said MPs had had several months since a similar bill was passed by the
Federal Parliament in December to form an opinion.

Copyright © 2007. The Age Company Ltd.