Peter Abetz says laws should change to allow surrogacy discrimination

Peter Abetz from the Australian Christian Lobby says WA’s laws which currently allow single women access to surrogacy were unintentionally created, and has called for federal anti-discrimination laws to be amended to stop single men and same-sex male couples gaining access to surrogacy.

Speaking on the Australian Christian Lobby’s Voice for Values video blog, the former politician said he knew from his time in parliament that allowing single women to access surrogacy was never the intention of the legislation.

Since losing his Southern River seat at the last state election Abetz has moved on to become a councillor at the City of Gosnells and now holds the role of State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

“Surrogacy legislation went through in Western Australia in 2008 and it limited surrogacy to couples, and there was a loophole in it which somehow allowed single females access to have access it, which was not the intention of the legislation.” Abetz said.

The ACL Director said the McGowan government was now trying to change the laws so single men, and same-sex male couples, could not claim discrimination.

The bill passed the lower house earlier this month and is scheduled to be debated by the legislative assembly in coming weeks.

The former MP said he believes the current Labor government should work with the federal Morrison government to change federal anti-discrimination laws so surrogacy could be exempt from discrimination claims.

Abetz said it was “clearly wrong” to create children who would not know either their mother or father. The lobbyist dismissed studies that suggest same-sex parents are equally capable of raising children, saying such studies were “unreliable”.

Abetz said Western Australian voters should be concerned about the Labor party’s policies ahead of the next election because they were trying to “foist” transgender issues upon society.

OIP Staff