CONCERNS that Queensland’s proposed new laws on surrogacy could create a “new stolen generation” has led a team of doctors, lawyers, ethicists and parents to mount the Kids Rights Count campaign.
The campaign, initiated by the Family Council of Queensland, recently gained an online presence with the launch of a website www.kidsrightscount.org.au
The Surrogacy Bill 2009 is expected to be debated and put to a conscience vote this week.
The website was launched on the same day that Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane, Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall and four representatives of Queensland heads of churches met with attorney-general Cameron Dick.
The meeting was to enable those with concerns about the Surrogacy Bill 2009 to meet with the attorney-general.
Toowoomba doctor David Van Gend said the new law was initially supposed to be about decriminalising altruistic surrogacy (where a woman bears another person’s child for no financial benefit).
“However, the bill which was introduced into State Parliament at the end of last year goes much further than that,” Dr Van Gend said.
“The bill will deprive a child of the fundamental need to know the love of a real mum, and even – in the case of single or same-sex surrogacy – force a child to live his or her whole life without a mother, or without a father.
“This will be a premeditated decision by the state to separate the child from the birth mother.”
Dr Van Gend said studies had consistently shown such a course of action had the potential to bring about an identity crisis.
“Surely this lack of connection with biological families is what issues such as Stolen Generation have been about,” he said.
“What we are seeing here is a fundamental human right of a child to known their parents being trampled on in favour of adult rights.
“This violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that a child shall not be separated from the mother unless there is a grave reason.”
Queensland Bioethics Centre director Ray Campbell said there was “widespread agreement” amongst pro-family advocates “that surrogacy should be decriminalised as regards the surrogate mother and commissioning parents”.
“However, pro-family advocates also believe children’s rights can be safeguarded in ways other than the endorsing of surrogacy in new laws.”
FCQ president Alan Baker said the bill “went way beyond merely legalising altruistic surrogacy”.
“It’s an extreme radical ideological position being foisted on children and the community,” Mr Baker said.
“The bill as it is proposed is unnecessary.
“If the government is looking to protect the rights of children who arise from surrogacy arrangements, it can simply amend the existing legislation.
In an interview on ABC radio last week featuring the attorney-general and Dr van Gend, Mr Dick argued the bill was necessary to remove the current penalty of imprisonment for “parents” who obtain a surrogate child.
Mr Dick was unable to be reached for comment before publication deadlines.
