PM - Senate committee hands down stem cell report

MARK COLVIN: The Senate committee, which has been looking at stem cell research has just handed down its report in Canberra.

The committee's been examining the issue for the last few months in light of two private member's bills, which would allow therapeutic cloning.

Chief Political Correspondent Chris Uhlmann reports.

CHRIS UHLMANN: The laws which regulate human cloning and embryo research are not old, which is a reflection of the science, which made them necessary. Parliament last wrestled its way through this emotional debate only four years ago.

That debate is about to be revisited. Two senators have penned bills to give effect to the Lockhart Review recommendations to change the existing laws.

The bills cover a lot of ground but, in essence, they would allow the cloning of embryos establish a source of stem cells. It's hoped those highly plastic cells might be used to treat degenerative diseases.

Which brings us to today, and the report of the Senate committee tasked with reviewing those private members' bills.

It's a report in two parts, as committee member and author of one of the bills, Senator Kay Patterson, explains.

KAY PATTERSON: Chapter One, Chapter Two, everyone agrees with. They're just general introductory chapters.

Chapter Three is a case for, and Chapter Four is a case against. The majority support the case for.

CHRIS UHLMANN: What are those things that will remain prohibited?

KAY PATTERSON: There should not be reproductive cloning, that embryos shouldn't be made out of sperm and eggs, anything other than assistant reproductive technology.

The committee recommended a range of things remain banned.

CHRIS UHLMANN: But what things now will be allowed, should your bill pass Parliament?

KAY PATTERSON: Should this bill pass Parliament, it was agreed by Lockhart committee and supported by the overwhelming majority of scientists who gave evidence to us at the committee hearings, including the Australian Academy of Science, the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technology Society, huge number of scientists supported the legislation, which allows somatic cell nuclear transfer.

This is taking an adult cell and triggering it using an egg, an animal egg or an human egg to behave like an embryo, to be able to derive stem cells that we believe will be able to be used to study how drugs affect ... to study drugs, to study diseases and the process and possibly to be able to develop treatments that will be suitable for the individual from whom the cell is being taken.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Which is why it's called therapeutic cloning?

KAY PATTERSON: That's one of the reasons it's called therapeutic cloning. But it will permit, the bill will not permit, an embryo to develop beyond 14 days, or to be placed in the body of an animal or a human.

So this is about a cell, an embryo, allowing it to develop for 14 days, develop cells, stem cell lines that are more like the individual who gave the original cell.

CHRIS UHLMANN: It does allow, though, the mixing of human and animal cells for research.

KAY PATTERSON: It does for research, and one of things that people kept telling us was that human embryos are very precious, and we all agree with that, human eggs.

And of course, the gathering of those eggs would be very, very regulated by the NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council).

But what a lot of research has said was, enables to them to undertake research, to train young researchers, that to be able to use animal eggs would actually preserve the human eggs for the very, very important research of looking for stem cells lines that are based on human tissue.

So it's particularly for training. We also have very, very strict guidelines through the NHMRC, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to never see any tissue being developed that used animal and human tissue together, or DNA together.

So it is for training and research.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Francis Sullivan is Chief Executive of Catholic Health Australia. He gave evidence before the committee, and is disappointed by the majority finding.

FRANCIS SULLIVAN: Well, what is very clear about this report is that the scientific debate and evidence is not settled. The ethical debate is not settled, and any politician who is hoping to base their conscience vote on this report should take pause.

Because one thing that the community is very unsettled about is the deliberate creation of human life for its destruction. This is a step for our community too far, and the report, frankly, dodges the debate.
MARK COLVIN: The Chief Executive of Catholic Health Australia, Francis Sullivan, ending that report by Chris Uhlmann.

PM - Monday, 30 October , 2006 18:43:00

Reporter: Frances Sullivan