Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I do not know whether this is a commentary that comes before the debate that we are all going to have on the private members’ bills which are being brought before us. Senator Fielding, I and others will all have our opportunity to express our own views on this matter. However, as Senator Fielding well knows, the fact is that we had a debate four years ago. This parliament made lawful, under certain circumstances, research on embryos that have been produced as a result of IVF procedures and that are surplus to the IVF procedure. Arrangements were set up under which research centres could compete for funding under a variety of government programs with independently observed criteria. This particular centre won the right to Commonwealth government funding to conduct that research under a properly contested and independently assessed regime. The performance of the fund is being assessed. That is a matter for the law. (Time expired)