Advocates who have fought for over a decade to change Western Australia’s laws around surrogacy and access to Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) have celebrated their recent success.
On Wednesday night at Connections Nightclub thanks were given to the many people who contributed to the long campaign to bring about the changes. Earlier this month the long promised laws were passed after a long parliamentary debate.
Pride WA Chair Michael Felix spoke at the event and introduced campaigners Candice Dix and Paul Hadfield-Jia.
“This has been several years in the making, and without the strength of the individuals and the groups to stand tall and stand together, and to share a lot of the hard, the joyful, and the challenging life stories, this wouldn’t have been possible.” Felix said.
Now that the laws have been changed Michael Felix said it was important to celebrate the changes that had been achieved, not just or queer families, but all Western Australian families.
Campaigner Candice Dix was joined on the stage by her son Beau, who was celebrating his evelnth birthday.
DUring the campaign for change Dix shared how she and her husband had started their family, but complications with her second birth left her unable to deliver more children. To continue to grow their family, the couple turned to a surrogacy option in Ukraine.
“After many years of advocacy, Western Australia’s Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy law reforms are finally here, for so many of us this is not just policy, it’s personal.” Dix told the crowd.
“As a parent of two beautiful girls born through surrogacy overseas, this moment is deeply meaningful to us and our family. These reforms are about recognition, equality, accessibility, protection and progress.
Dix said the recently passed law reforms would allow Western Australians to create their families at home, and the children born would be recognised, protected and always placed at the centre of decisions that affect their lives.
The large amount of letter writing and one-on-one conversations with MPs, undertaken by hundreds of people were credited with being a key part of the campaign for change. Dix said those personal stories played a critical role in getting the support needed to keep the issue on the government’s agenda, and to get the votes needed for change.
“This legislation has been 10 years in the making, and it’s going to impact so many Western Australians.” Paul Hadfield-Jia said. “Right here, right now, and for generation and generations to come.”
Hadfield called out many of the community members who had been campaigning for change for over a decade, including family law expert Marty Kavanagh.
“There were so many people sharing their stories in the media, and sometimes that brought a lot of negative hate.” Hadfield-Jia said. “It’s quite hard.”
Putting forward real stories was noted as a key component of the campaign to bring about change, with some families and aspiring parents sharing their stories in the media, while others sat down with politicians and political staffers to share their experiences and desires.
Former Labor MLC Peter Foster and high profile Labor member and political staffer Paul Benson were credited with getting the issue back on the government’s agenda after a failed attempt to change the legislation back in 2019.
After an initial meeting in April 2024, the advocates were invited back the following November for a meeting with then Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and Premier Roger Cook, at that time though the Premier shared the disappointing news that the government had run out of time to bring in the legislation during it’s second term.
Those campaigning for change then had to wait for the state election in 2025, and hope that the government would be returned for a third term.
Ahead of the election campaign the team launched a letter writing campaign getting people to bring up the issue with their local member and candidates running for office. Over 4,000 people took part in the campaign and made their pleas for change.
After Labor was returned for a third time, Hadfield-Jia, Dix and their colleagues were meeting with the new Health Minister Meredith Hammat and making sure the new legislation was at the top of the government’s agenda.
Soon Hadfield-Jia was spending his time knocking on the doors of any politician who would take a meeting to build up the support for the legislation.
He shared the process of watching the long debate was stressful, and although privately many MPs had voiced their support, the final vote was still filled with anticipation. When the laws were passed in the Legislative Council 22-12, both Hadfield-Jia and Dix were in tears.
Hadfield’s biggest thanks however were for his husband Charlie and their two children.
“This was quite challenging for us because we knew if we were going to do this, we were going to expose our family, and there were some difficult conversations.” he shared. “I’m so proud of you.”
