Debate on the Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Bill has recommenced in the Legislative Council.
With parliament adding an additional sitting week to their calendar for next week the government will be hoping they can ush through the bill before the end of the year, but opposition MPs and minor parties have a long list of questions about the bill.
Debate on the bill began in mid-October and its been progressing at a glacial pace. During the committee process of analysis the bill, which sees parliamentarians look at the legislation line by line, there’s been a huge range of motions to amend the legislation.
Liberal leader Basil Zempilas told The West Australian that his members were not deliberately slowing down progress of the bill.
During the last session there were attempts to change sections of the bill relating to the use of materials from a partner who had died. Alongside a push to increase the age of people who could serve as a surrogate, and current requirements that they have already given birth to at least one child.
There was also a call from The Australian Christians member Maryka Groenewald to introduce background checks for people wanting to start a family via surrogacy, it also failed to pass.
Each amendment failed, but line by line the debate dragged on.
As debate resumed on Tuesday with a push to ban any advertising about surrogacy services, it also failed. While the government put forward an increased the penalty for people found to be undertaking commercial surrogacy rather than an truistic endeavour.
The proposed legislation had 369 clauses when it arrived in the Legislative Assembly, and they’re currently looking at clause 112.
