As the ART and Surrogacy Reform Bill 2025 prepares to enter the Upper House for debate on 14 October, many Western Australians are reflecting on the years of advocacy, community organising and personal storytelling that have brought the legislation to this point.
Among those leading the charge is Paul Hadfield-Jia, who represents Rainbow Families of WA — a coalition of Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads WA and Rainbow Families Australia.
“We have worked tirelessly to ensure that MPs understand what these reforms mean for real families across the state,” Hadfield-Jia said.
“It has not just been about meeting MPs but also raising awareness through campaign letters and through television and online media. We could not have got this far without the support of the community and through partnerships with organisations like WA Surrogacy and Equality Australia.”
Over recent months, hundreds of campaign letters have been sent to Members of Parliament from individuals and families affected by outdated surrogacy laws. These personal stories became a powerful feature of the Lower House debate in September, with many MPs drawing directly from the letters in their speeches to illustrate the lived experiences of Western Australians.
Upper House MPs were also included in the campaign and are expected to reference many of these stories as debate begins. For Hadfield-Jia, this has been a deliberate and strategic effort to ensure that real voices remain at the centre of the political conversation.
“Since April we have led a comprehensive program of engagement with MPs across the political spectrum,” Hadfield-Jia continued. “We have engaged with members of Labor, the Greens, Nationals, Legalise Cannabis, Animal Justice and also members of the Liberal Party, holding in-depth discussions and sharing community perspectives.
The response from many MPs has been constructive, with strong indications of support. This cross-party engagement reflects a growing recognition that Western Australia’s surrogacy laws are in urgent need of modernisation to reflect the reality of contemporary families.”
Rainbow Families of WA has also partnered with both local and national organisations to amplify its advocacy. Over recent years, the group has engaged with every major media outlet in Western Australia, alongside national broadcasters, to highlight the human impact of WA’s restrictive laws and the need for reform.
Through interviews, feature stories and coordinated campaigns, these partnerships have helped bring the experiences of parents, surrogates and children into public view, shifting the narrative from policy debate to human rights and equality.
For Hadfield-Jia, this is more than a policy milestone, it is deeply personal. He and his husband are parents to two children born through international surrogacy. Like many Western Australians, they were forced to travel overseas to build their family because the state’s laws made it impossible to do so locally.
“These reforms would mean that families like ours could be created right here at home, surrounded by community and support,” Hadfield-Jia explained. “No one should be forced to take unnecessary risks that can impact the parents, children or surrogates. Our state should provide the legal framework and safety for families to be created here in WA. A privilege that already exists in every other Australian state.”
A Historic Opportunity
Supporters of the reforms say this legislation will allow all LGBTQIA+ people the opportunity to create families in Western Australia and represents one of the most significant legislative milestones since the Marriage Equality Bill in 2017.
