Ahead of the parliamentary debate on the McGowan government’s bill, that would allow single men and gay men to access altruistic surrogacy, the Australian Christian Lobby has argued that the laws need to move in the opposite direction and ban all single people from accessing surrogacy.

Currently altruistic surrogacy can only legally be accessed by married heterosexual couples and single women. The bill currently before parliament proposes to remove the discrimination faced by single men and male same-sex couples who want to start a family.

The Australian Christian Lobby’s State Director Peter Abetz says the studies quoted by Health Minister Roger Cook that claim children succeed equally in same-sex or single parent families are not reliable.

“Contrary to claims by the Health Minister Roger Cook in his second reading speech, sociological and psychological research clearly shows that children brought up by their biological parents in a married relationship fare better in all measures,” Abetz said in a statement.

Health Minister Roger Cook said the it was clear that community attitudes towards same-sex people and their families had changed over recent years and their was a significant amount of research to show that the children of same-sex couples did not face any disadvantage.

“A growing body of sociological and psychological research shows that it is a supportive and loving environment, not sexual orientation or whether there are two parents or one, that is important for the development of happy and well-adjusted children.” Roger Cook said.

Abetz, a former Liberal party politician, who was a reverend prior to his political career, said that rather than focussing on equality the laws should be tightened up to ban all single people from accessing surrogacy.

“Surrogacy access for single men is set to create equality in the current legislation passed in 2008 which gives single females the right to access surrogacy arrangements, however, we are told that no single female has applied for surrogacy in this 10-year period.”

“Therefore, rather than extend the right to single men, the right to surrogacy for single people should be removed altogether,” Abetz argues.

Debate on the bill is expected to commence on Tuesday in state parliament.

OIP Staff