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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1581 ..

state and territory is doing it but because I have been a strong advocate of stem cell research for many years. When I brought on the MPI in this place on 10 April 2002, which was supported by most members in this place, I did made some comments which I want to repeat. I said:

Stem cells can be made available from a number of sources, both from adults and in embryonic form. Science is increasingly showing that adult stem cells are less suitable for treating disease and impairment than was first thought. They lack the plasticity of embryonic stem cells—that is, the ability to become any type of tissue.

Embryonic stem cell research is, of course, not without its detractors. Those detractors, in the main, come from two sources—the ignorant and/or the uninformed, and the church. Firstly, for the uniformed, here are some facts: IVF treatment for infertility is now commonplace and non-controversial in Australia. For each IVF pregnancy, a number of embryos must be created. Other than the two or three that are implanted, the rest are surplus to requirements, and are either stored or disposed of. There are currently some 70,000 spare embryos in frozen storage in Australia. If not used for stem cell research, they will eventually be thrown away.

I asked this question two years ago of other people in this place. As a new member I said, “If there are 70,000 unused embryos and you have an issue using those embryos because they are considered a life, how can you dispose of a life if it is so precious to you? You say it is a life and you don’t know where life begins, yet you are not prepared to use that supposed life to help cure people?” In my parliamentary career, I am certainly not going to stand in the way of possible cures. It is a choice, which is why some parties allow a conscience vote on this issue. I honestly cannot understand how anyone can make a decision not to use research, while we have millions of people around the world suffering from various diseases which are curable. I am not going to play God on this. The scientists are there to do the job for us. They are our gods in the medical profession. They use these embryos in order to benefit humankind.

Imagine a world where kidney dialysis was no longer needed, diabetes did not exist, the blind could see again and those disabled or otherwise hindered by impairment were restored to health and ability. That world is now close. I appreciate the despair some people have in their everyday lives. This despair could probably be lifted by this new technology. I believe that those who oppose this new research because they are confused about a six-day old cluster of cells in a petrie dish commit a greater moral sin by sentencing those who are in dire need of a cure to lives without hope.

I heard members earlier refer to embryonic stem cells and their importance or lack of importance. Everyone can come up with arguments for and against. I have some information that I sought from the internet which I would like to read. The question was asked: why are embryonic stem cells important? The information I have is as follows:

Embryonic stem cells are of great interest to medicine and science because of their ability to develop into virtually any other cell made by the human body. In theory, if stem cells can be grown and their development directed in culture, it would be possible to grow cells of medical importance such as bone marrow, neural tissue or muscle.

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