Wednesday, April 2, 2008

ABC Online - "Mixed reactions to surrogacy proposals"


There are no uniform surrogacy laws in Australia.

Tasmanian Christian lobby groups and gay rights activists are at loggerheads over plans allow surrogate pregnancies.

There are no uniform surrogacy laws in Australia and Tasmanian legislation prevents infertile couples from arranging contracts with surrogate mothers.

Last week, the nation's Attorneys-General agreed to develop a uniform framework to allow conditional, non-commercial surrogacy.

Tasmanian Labor MLC, Lin Thorp, hopes a select committee inquiry into surrogacy issues in Tasmania will influence the development of the new laws.

Gay rights advocate Rodney Croome welcomes the move.

"At the moment same-sex couples seeking to become parents through surrogacy are forced overseas and often into commercial arrangements," he said.

"And allowing altruistic surrogacy allows same-sex and opposite sex couples who are childless to receive the gift of parenthood, often from close friends or relatives."

The Christian Lobby opposes moves to allow surrogate pregnancies in Tasmania, saying the change would be detrimental to the children involved.

The Tasmanian head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Nick Overton, says even altruistic surrogacy is fraught with problems.

"You could have up to, I guess conceivably, just off the top of my head, maybe five or six different people involved and then of course that is really, moves into the whole realm I guess of blurred family relationships," he said.

"Who is the parent and access for the child and you know very complex relational and legal complications."

[Link: Original Article]

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