Government announces changes to outdated fertility legislation

In a long-anticipated move, the Australian state of Victoria has
announced that it will allow not-for-profit surrogacy, and give
lesbians and single women access to fertility treatment. Attorney
General Rob Hulls ways that his government will adopt the
recommendations of the state’s Law Reform Commission.

Victorian laws on reproduction, surrogacy and adoption have
long been criticised as archaic. Only infertile couples were allowed
to use IVF and surrogacy was not allowed. This led to the widely
publicised case of the current Federal Communications Minister,
Stephen Conroy, travelling with his wife to neighbouring New South
Wales to organise a surrogate mother for their child. The Victorian
decision will put pressure on the newly-elected Federal government to
work with the states to create a uniform national law on fertility
treatment and surrogacy. ~ Australian, Dec 15

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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