16 August 2006 

Science and Morality: Let the People Decide

Ministers have a moral obligation not to block the advancement of human health because of personally-held religious views, the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance, Christina Richards, said today.

Ms Richards said cell replacement therapy had the potential of becoming a "third way" – supplementing surgery and drugs – of providing medical treatment, with an impact at least as profound as the development of antibiotics more than 60 years ago.

"Politicians, like everyone else, are entitled to hold and express personal religious views, but they have no right at all to impose those views on the community contrary to the recommendations of an expert panel," Ms Richards said.

"It is incorrect for politicians with strong religious views to argue that the Lockhart committee's recommendations supporting some early stage embryonic research under strict ethical and scientific regulation would open the way to unrestricted research in a few years' time. That is scaremongering, clearly based on personal views rather than serious science.

"Significant public funds were invested in the Lockhart review, which was conducted by a panel appointed by the minister and included Nobel Prize winning scientist Barry Marshall. The panel consulted widely and received more than 1,000 submissions.

"There is no justification for one person, even a Minister, to frustrate the hopes of people such as Christopher Reeve, who before his death in 2004 campaigned strongly for stem cell research with the potential to reverse the effects of spinal cord injury.

"The Prime Minister is to be congratulated for indicating that a conscience vote will be declared should relevant legislation be introduced."

Further information: Chris Richards 02 6282 8925 or 0427884479

The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA)
www.arha.org.au
Our mission is to promote public support for enhanced reproductive and sexual health in Australia and internationally, and promote the advancement of the status of women and girls.