ID :
30264
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 17:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/30264
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Libs lacked free vote on IVF: Brumby
Victorian Labor MPs had total freedom to vote according to their conscience on the state's controversial IVF legislation, unlike their opposition counterparts, Premier John Brumby said.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology bill grants single and lesbian women access to reproductive treatment including IVF, and give gay partners and parents of surrogate children greater parenting rights.
The bill passed the Victorian upper house 20 votes to 18 on Thursday, after easily passing through the lower house last month.
It has now been sent to the Legislation Committee for further examination before a third and final vote.
In Thursday's vote, one Labor MP voted against the government bill, while only one Liberal MP was for it.
In the lower house the opposition had voted as a bloc against it.
Mr Brumby said some Liberal MPs were not able to freely vote how they wished to on the bill. "I think some of them have found it difficult ... to truly express their conscience and they are entitled to do that," Mr Brumby told reporters. He said all Labor MPs voted how they wanted to. "I think you saw throughout the debate, certainly on our side, you've seen people very free to express their point of view and the one thing I made very clear on these debates and that is with members of parliament I asked them to respect the views of others.
"I think on our side of the fence I've been very proud of the way our caucus
colleagues have ... behaved during the debate."
There has been criticism of a clause in the bill that would require people seeking
fertility treatment to undergo police checks.
Mr Brumby said that was recommended by the Law Reform Commission.
Statutory declarations had been used in some states but had not worked, Mr Brumby
said, and that was why police checks were recommended.
He recognised the issue was contentious but said there were no government amendments
planned, but individual MPs were free to do so.
"All sorts of things can happen in debates," he said.
Despite the issues surrounding the bill, he was still confident it would pass its
third and final vote.
Liberal leader Ted Baillieu rejected the premier's assertion that opposition MPs had
been denied a conscience vote.
"This is complete nonsense," Mr Baillieu said.
"Liberal Party members have always had a conscience vote on this legislation."
The Assisted Reproductive Technology bill grants single and lesbian women access to reproductive treatment including IVF, and give gay partners and parents of surrogate children greater parenting rights.
The bill passed the Victorian upper house 20 votes to 18 on Thursday, after easily passing through the lower house last month.
It has now been sent to the Legislation Committee for further examination before a third and final vote.
In Thursday's vote, one Labor MP voted against the government bill, while only one Liberal MP was for it.
In the lower house the opposition had voted as a bloc against it.
Mr Brumby said some Liberal MPs were not able to freely vote how they wished to on the bill. "I think some of them have found it difficult ... to truly express their conscience and they are entitled to do that," Mr Brumby told reporters. He said all Labor MPs voted how they wanted to. "I think you saw throughout the debate, certainly on our side, you've seen people very free to express their point of view and the one thing I made very clear on these debates and that is with members of parliament I asked them to respect the views of others.
"I think on our side of the fence I've been very proud of the way our caucus
colleagues have ... behaved during the debate."
There has been criticism of a clause in the bill that would require people seeking
fertility treatment to undergo police checks.
Mr Brumby said that was recommended by the Law Reform Commission.
Statutory declarations had been used in some states but had not worked, Mr Brumby
said, and that was why police checks were recommended.
He recognised the issue was contentious but said there were no government amendments
planned, but individual MPs were free to do so.
"All sorts of things can happen in debates," he said.
Despite the issues surrounding the bill, he was still confident it would pass its
third and final vote.
Liberal leader Ted Baillieu rejected the premier's assertion that opposition MPs had
been denied a conscience vote.
"This is complete nonsense," Mr Baillieu said.
"Liberal Party members have always had a conscience vote on this legislation."
