Australia will allow embryonic stem cells to be cloned for research after lawmakers on Wednesday defied conservative Prime Minister John Howard in an emotive parliamentary debate.
Parliament’s lower house approved new laws that bring Australia into line with Britain, and some states in the United States, which scientists say will make it easier for Australia to attract medical researchers and allow greater international collaboration.
Australia’s lower house of parliament overturned a ban imposed in 2002 that only allowed research on embryos left over from IVF programs.
The vote is the second parliamentary defeat this year for Australia’s Health Minister Tony Abbott, who once trained to be a Catholic priest. He also lost his ministerial right to veto the use of the controversial abortion drug RU-486 in February.
“We owe it to the beloved dead to base our policies on our principles, and not on our grief,” Abbott said.
But many supporters of the laws spoke of the pain of losing family members, and said Australia could not afford to continue to place limits on stem cell research, which could one day find cures for a range of debilitating conditions.
It’s difficult to use the words “conscience” and “politician” in the same sentence — without presuming a contradiction. I guess it can happen.
Howard said: “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.”
Strange how conservatives have no problem sending live human beings into war to “save people’s lives” yet using stem cells is moral relativism.
I’m hopeful it’s a new world dawning! The conservative driven dark ages are faling by the way side to a more progressive, science and data driven society.
Bush, the GOP, the right wing, the Church of the Divine Child Molester, the War mongers, the Hummer drivers, polluters and animal abusers ALL OVER THE WORLD will soon be ousted !
It’s a new world !
#2–“It’s a new world !”
With all the old left wing prejudices and hatreds intact, apparently.
#3 — and a few more reactionary bigots losing just a little bit more power.
#3 — and a few more reactionary and religious fools losing just a little bit more power.
Stem cell research is legal in America too, including with embryos.