Australian Christian Lobby’s Peter Abetz voices opposition to surrogacy

The Australian Christian Lobby has voiced it’s opposition to the Western Australian government’s review of the laws surrounding reproductive technology.

The ACL’s new State Director Peter Abetz outlined the Christian lobby organisation is opposed to all surrogacy, as well as the creation of children via sperm and egg donation.

“The Australian Christian Lobby does not support surrogacy and sperm or egg donations, whether altruistic or commercial, as it exploits women and hurts children, treating them as commodities,” Abetz said.

The ACL Director accused the McGowan Labour government of reaching a conclusion on the review prior to it being conducted.

Abetz said comments from Health Minister Roger Cook that indicated the laws which prevent same-sex couples from accessing altruistic surrogacy might be discriminatory showed that Cook had already made up his mind before hearing the arguments.

The politician and lobbyist said the any changes to the surrogacy laws would mean children were being deliberately deprived of their biological parents.

“WA Government plans that same-sex couples will soon be able to have children using a surrogate completely ignores the rights of a child to, wherever possible, be raised and loved by their biological father and mother,” Abetz said.

Abetz said recent changes to the marriage laws would lead to gay men exploiting women.

“Same-sex marriage involving two men will, by its very nature and design, mean women outside of the relationship will be exploited and children denied their biological heritage.”

Abetz, who has a long history of opposing LGBTI rights first came to prominence as the Reverend of a church in Southern River.

He later served eight years as a MP in the Barnett Liberal government. After losing his seat in the 2017 state election he was elected to the Gosnells City Council. He served as the State Director of the Coalition for Marriage, the organisation behind the failed ‘No’ campaign in the marriage postal survey.

Abetz replaces Dahlia Messiha as the WA Director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

OIP Staff