Clone a Human, Get $500,000
says Aussie State Premier
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082007.html (copy and paste links into your browser)
By Hilary White
SYDNEY, August 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Premier Morris Lemma, Premier of
the state of New South Wales, has offered a grant of $500,000 to the first
researchers to successfully create Australia’s first cloned human beings.
This June, the state parliament of New South Wales voted to overturn the
previous ban on creating cloned humans for research. The lower house voted 65-26
to instate cloning with the strict “ethical” proviso that the embryos would be
killed and harvested for stem cells thus never allowed to come to term.
Lemma also
promised a special $11.5 million fund to develop cloning and embryonic stem cell
research in the state.
“Put simply, this funding will enable NSW scientists to undertake work we hope
will result in the creation of the country's first stem-cell lines derived from
somatic-cell nuclear transfer embryos. In fact, if successful it could well be a
world first,” he said.
The new legislation, put forward by Iemma, also allows the creation of
human/animal hybrids, the creation of embryos from more than two donors and the
use of ova from aborted baby girls to create embryos in the lab.
The Australian government has attempted to silence principled opposition to the
legislation. Archbishop Hickey of Perth was placed under a parliamentary
investigation when he said politicians voting in favour of the legislation are
acting against the teaching of the Church and ought to refrain from receiving
Communion.
Fred Riebeling, the speaker of the West Australian legislative assembly, called
the statement a “threat” and said he wanted to question the archbishop before an
investigative committee. The Australian reported that Archbishop Hickey can
expect a formal reprimand but is unlikely to be questioned by a Parliamentary
committee.
West Australian Attorney-General Jim McGinty said it was "fundamental that you
cannot threaten or intimidate a member of parliament as to the way in which
they'll vote on a particular issue".
Read Related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Cardinal George Pell May Withhold Communion From New South Wales Premier Over
Cloning
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jun/07060511.html
Australian
Archbishop Under Investigation for Telling Anti-Life Catholic Politicians not to
Receive Communion
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jun/07060708.html ;