Australia relaxes stem cell laws
Australia will allow embryonic stem cells to be
cloned for research after lawmakers on Wednesday defied conservative Prime
Minister John Howard in an emotive parliamentary debate.
Australia will allow embryonic stem cells to be cloned for
research after lawmakers on Wednesday defied conservative Prime Minister John
Howard in an emotive parliamentary
debate.
Parliament’s lower house approved new laws that bring Australia into line with Britain, and some states in the United States, which scientists say will make it easier for Australia to attract medical researchers and allow greater international collaboration.
Australia’s lower house of parliament overturned a ban imposed in 2002 that only allowed research on embryos left over from IVF programs.
The vote is the second parliamentary defeat this year for Australia’s Health Minister Tony Abbott, who once trained to be a Catholic priest. He also lost his ministerial right to veto the use of the controversial abortion drug RU-486 in February.
“We owe it to the beloved dead to base our policies on our principles, and not on our grief,” Abbott said.
But many supporters of the laws spoke of the pain of losing family members, and said Australia could not afford to continue to place limits on stem cell research, which could one day find cures for a range of debilitating conditions.
It’s difficult to use the words “conscience” and “politician” in the same sentence — without presuming a contradiction. I guess it can happen.
Parliament’s lower house approved new laws that bring Australia into line with Britain, and some states in the United States, which scientists say will make it easier for Australia to attract medical researchers and allow greater international collaboration.
Australia’s lower house of parliament overturned a ban imposed in 2002 that only allowed research on embryos left over from IVF programs.
The vote is the second parliamentary defeat this year for Australia’s Health Minister Tony Abbott, who once trained to be a Catholic priest. He also lost his ministerial right to veto the use of the controversial abortion drug RU-486 in February.
“We owe it to the beloved dead to base our policies on our principles, and not on our grief,” Abbott said.
But many supporters of the laws spoke of the pain of losing family members, and said Australia could not afford to continue to place limits on stem cell research, which could one day find cures for a range of debilitating conditions.
It’s difficult to use the words “conscience” and “politician” in the same sentence — without presuming a contradiction. I guess it can happen.
Posted: Wed - December 6, 2006 at 08:21 AM