Australian House Approves Law Allowing Some Forms Of Therapeutic Cloning

The Australian House on Wednesday voted 82-62 to approve a bill that legalizes some forms of cloning of human embryos for stem cell research, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (McGuirk, AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6). The Australian Senate in November passed the legislation by a 34-32 vote (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/22). Parliament in 2002 approved a law that allows unused embryos from in vitro fertilization treatments to be used for stem cell research but prohibited all types of cloning (AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6). The new law allows embryonic stem cells to be cloned for research use but bans importing or exporting cloned embryos, Reuters reports. In addition, the law maintains the ban that prohibits placing cloned embryos into a human body or the body of an animal (Grubel, Reuters, 12/6). Prime Minister John Howard and Kevin Rudd, leader of the opposition Labor party, opposed the measure, but members of Parliament were allowed a "conscience vote" on the legislation, meaning members did not have to vote the party's stance, AFP/Khaleej Times reports (AFP/Khaleej Times, 12/6). "I don't think the science has shifted enough to warrant the Parliament changing its view," Howard on Wednesday said, adding, "I think we do live in an age where we have slid too far into relativism, and there must be some absolutes in our society" (Reuters, 12/6). The bill "will enable Australia to stay at the forefront of medical research," Sen. Kay Patterson, a former health minister who drafted the measure, said, adding, "I didn't see how we could accept any treatment derived from this in the future if we didn't allow the research here in Australia." The law will take effect in six months after health and science officials draft guidelines for stem cell research licensing and egg donations, according to Patterson (AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6).

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