Victoria - IVF and Surrogacy

STATUS: Completed - Legislation passed

The Victorian government announced plans to give IVF to lesbians and single women and to change surrogacy laws in late 2007 - Attorney General Rob Hulls announced the decision on 14 December 2007.

The government introduced legislation to implement almost all the recommendations made by the VLRC (details below) into the Legislative Assembly on 9 September 2008 .

The legislation, the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill was finally passed on 4 December 2008.
See Updates below.
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The Legislation: Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill.
Click here, select 'Parliamentary Documents', then select 'Bills', then select the name of the Bill.

UPDATE: IVF Bill - 9 October 2008
The Victorian Legislative Assembly debated and voted on the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill, with the final vote on 9 October 2008. The Bill was approved by a vote of 48 to 36.

Click here for the Hansard record of the vote. The third reading (final) vote is on page 4021.

This was disappointing - but there was a good side!:
ALL the Liberal Party and National Party MPs voted AGAINST the Bill, which would have given lesbian couples and single women access to IVF.
FOUR Labor MPs voted against the Bill: Christine Campbell, Marlene Kairouz, George Seitz and James Merlino.
Media article:
Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill gains support in Lower House
Herald Sun, October 08, 2008.

The Bill now goes to the Legislative Council. Please contact your FIVE Legislative Council MPs... ask them to vote AGAINST the Bill.

UPDATE: IVF Bill - 15 November 2008
The Victorian Legislative Council voted in the second reading on the IVF Bill on Thursday 13 November - the vote was 20 to 18 in favour. The Council then voted to send the Bill to the 'Legislation Committee' for further examination.
The Committee has to report back to the Legislative Council by 2 December 2008.
The final third reading vote will then be taken.

The VOTE: Only one Coalition MLC (Bruce Atkinson voted for the Bill. Two Labor MLCs voted AGAINST the Bill (Adem Somyurek and Nazih Elasmar).
Click here for the Hansard record - Vote is on Page 5016.

Media Report:
Isabella's story sways a conservative
The Age, November 14, 2008.

Update: after 4 December 2008 - ART Bill passed
The Victorian Legislative Council has voted to pass the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill by 20 votes to 18 on 4 December. The Bill allows lesbians and single women access to IVF, allows the lesbian partner of a birth mother to be registered as a parent on the birth certificate and opens up surrogacy laws.

Only one Liberal MLC, Bruce Atkinson, voted for the Bill. Only one Labor MLC, Adem Somurek, a Muslim, voted against the Bill.
One Labor MLC, Nazih Elasmar, who voted against the Bill at the second reading, was absent for the vote.
The full vote is on the official Hansard: Click here for the final vote (scroll to Page 5488).
Some amendments were passed. The amended Bill was then passed by the Legislative Assembly.
Click here for the Legislative Assembly consideration.
Debate - Page 5045 - Vote Page 5047.
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Initial campaign in December 2007
The following material was posted in December 2007 when the government announced their intention to legislate on these matters.

Please talk to your MPs about this and ask them to oppose this legislation.
Action and contact details BELOW!
Media reports below.

On 6 December 2007 we said
"WHAT NEXT? Homosexuality today - IVF and Surrogacy for single women and homosexuals tomorrow...."

It was not quite "tomorrow" but, sure enough, on Friday, 14 December - yes, just ten days before Christmas - the Victorian government announced it would legislate to give single women and homosexuals access to IVF and change the surrogacy laws in 2008.

The government was responding to the 130 recommendations made by the Victorian Law Reform Commission suggesting wide ranging changes to IVF access and surrogacy laws. The VLRC started an inquiry in .
Click here for VLRC Inquiry into 'Assisted Reproduction and Adoption' home page.
Click here for the Final Report. Each chapter is listed.
Click here for the Executive Summary and Recommendations. (pdf 2.4 MB)

The proposals would mean that if a lesbian has a child, her partner (with no genetic input) would be named as a parent of the child. The only major item that the Victorian government is not endorsing (at this time) is adoption. The government is proposing that adoption by same-sex couples should be investigated by a national committee!

We also now understand that the Victorian government may well push the 'Relationship Register Bill' through in the first sitting of State Parliament in Feb. 2008. The IVF and surrogacy proposals would be acted on later in 2008.

Bill Muehlenberg had an excellent article in the Herald Sun opposing these laws on IVF and surrogacy. It is linked below.

Please act on BOTH these issues ASAP. . .

We need you to redouble your efforts to combat this social engineering taking place in Victoria.
Make an appointment to see your local State MP (Lower House) and your 5 Upper House members. Take a friend and talk about the benefits of marriage and the damage that extending benefits to all couples will do to society.

We know some Lib/Nat MPs are supportive of our position. Please write politely to persuade all the Lib/Nat opposition to oppose both 'Relationship Registers' and the new IVF/surrogacy laws. Please encourage them to support the children, not the homosexuals by opposing this legislation.

Write to Party leaders and MPs:
PLEASE write to ALL YOUR political representatives (one Lower House and 5 Upper House) as well as the Premier Mr Brumby, the Deputy Premier Mr Hulls, the Leader of the opposition Mr Baillieu.
Vic. Premier John Brumby - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Vic. Attorney General Rob Hulls - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nationals Leader Peter Ryan - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Shadow Vic. Attorney General Robert Clark This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Your own MPs - one in the Legislative Assembly, five in the Legislative Council.
Click here. [Just type in your address and search and your SIX MPs will be shown!]

Media Reports:

Editorial: 'A debate we didn't have'
Herald Sun, 18 Dec 2007.

Open slather on family values
Bill Muehlenberg, Herald Sun, Opinion, December 17, 2007

Gays score equal rights to start IVF families
Herald Sun, December 15, 2007

Lesbian women to get access to IVF
The Age, AAP. December 14 , 2007.

No Medicare for lesbians' IVF
The Age, December 19, 2007

When father does know best
Herald Sun - 11 Feb 2008
A new article by Bill Muehlenberg on fatherlessness, IVF and sperm...
A longer version is on Bill's website - click here .

Thank you for taking action!