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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1575 ..

He also says:

There are still a lot of questions that we need to answer in the different facets of stem cell research … Everybody tends to give the pat answer that clinical applications of stem cell technology are at least 10 years down the road. The way the field is moving, it may be 10 years, it may be sooner.

I also understand that the University of Southern California has entered an arrangement to work on stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood in preference to working with embryonic stem cells. (Extension of time granted) Professor Leslie Weiner of the university’s School of Medicine is quoted as saying:

Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that may afford several potentially important advantages over embryonic or fetal stem cells, notably its abundance and genetic diversity ….

The research may lead to “therapies … for numerous people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases”. In short, I do not believe it is worth the trade-off of value in human life. This position is strengthened by the fact that there are alternative paths to exploring and understanding the potential of stem cells that do not require the destruction of embryos.

I have just moved the first of my amendments, which is basically to remove from this legislation the section that relates to licensing which will allow research to occur on embryos. I believe that this is the best way of dealing with this particular issue. As I understand it, the rest of this bill will be regulating the storage and treatment of embryos that came as a result of assisted reproductive technology.

I have chosen to amend this bill rather than simply oppose it because I believe that this is the way to ensure that there is a prohibition in place. As I understand it, ACT laws on IVF do not deal with the use of the embryos at present. In addition, part 3 of the bill establishes a system for monitoring the use of assisted reproductive technology embryos and any research governed by the Human Cloning (Prohibition) Bill. It is essential that we have a monitoring inspection system.

Part 3 allows the chairperson of the NHMRC licensing committee to appoint inspectors. Inspectors can “enter any premises and exercise various monitoring powers” in order to find out whether this act or its related human cloning act have been complied with. Inspection is as relevant to researchers or other institutes purporting to be only working on ART as it is to other areas of research. Hopefully people are aware of exactly what this amendment is. Basically this clause allows uses authorised by a licence, which would be granted by the Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the NHMRC. I oppose this because uses listed as exempt uses are the only ones that should be permitted. The exempt use is defined at 10(iii)(a) and (b) as:

(i) storage of the excess ART embryo; or

(ii) removal of the excess ART embryo from storage; or

(iii) transport of the excess ART embryo;

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