John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to join with the other speakers in applauding the member for Petrie for putting this motion on the Notice Paper. It is certainly a very important motion that gives greater awareness of the opportunities that exist to promote medical science with regard to the extraction of blood from the umbilical cord and placenta. I well remember about a decade ago in this House the very divisive debate that we had in relation to embryonic stem cell research. Certainly a lot was said about the future of adult stem cell research and about the destruction of embryos in relation to extracting stem cells, which the scientists at that time were saying offered so much hope.

I was alarmed to hear the member for Petrie say that she had offered to have the blood from her umbilical cord and placenta extracted on the occasion of the births of each of her two children but that that did not take place. We would hope that with this motion being debated tonight there is greater awareness of the shortcomings in that area and that this type of blood will become available in all states and territories, because it obviously offers so much hope. Well done to the member for Petrie and congratulations to the previous speaker on her contribution to the debate. This is one of the best motions I have ever participated in debate on, albeit very briefly, in the time that I have been here.

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