Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure it will come as no great surprise to people, as this debate goes on, that I agree with the contribution of Senator Stott Despoja. I, too, certainly support amendment (2) but I want to note, to perhaps facilitate the process, that I also support amendment (3) standing in Senator Nettle’s name. I see amendment (2), as has been outlined, as a step towards trying to achieve those public health benefit outcomes and accountability. Perhaps we are finally getting there on this one—we did not quite get there on the last one—but, over the last four years, we are getting better at this and we are coming to some understanding.

I think if you support amendment (2) it is pretty hard not to support amendment (3) because, if you are saying that you support a deposit in a national stem cell bank, then, really, you do need to actually establish one. These two are quite consequential, so it is a bit difficult to discuss them separately. I am assured by some that the government and the Prime Minister are committed to the establishment of a national stem cell bank, and I therefore do not see the harm in saying that we should actually have a time frame within which that should be achieved. With that, I support both the amendments.