Australia - Senator Wins Paternity Battle
Carol Nader
STEPHEN Conroy has won legal recognition as the father of his baby daughter, born one year ago through a surrogacy arrangement in Sydney.
And the incoming federal Communications Minister has urged the State Government to change the law to make it easier for other infertile couples to become parents.
Senator Conroy has spoken exclusively to The Age about how the flaws and anomalies in Victorian fertility legislation are putting barriers in the way of childless couples.
He said the law had not kept up with science and was failing to adequately protect children conceived through surrogacy.
"A number of changes that have been created by science have been ignored by the law, and that's led to circumstances like my own, where I was forced to go interstate to have a child through surrogacy," he said. "This caused increased stress, increased cost, and a whole range of legal complications."
Senator Conroy and his wife, Paula Benson, tried surrogacy after Ms Benson had ovarian cancer and a hysterectomy and could not conceive.
They tried to adopt a child from overseas but were told by state authorities they would not be considered because Ms Benson had to be free of cancer for five years.
At that stage, she had been free of cancer for 12 months and doctors told her she had made an excellent recovery. Victorian law says that a woman can be a surrogate only if she is medically infertile — which is as absurd as it sounds. Senator Conroy agreed the situation was "absurd".
For the complete article, click here: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/senator-wins-paternity-battle/2007/12/02/1196530480979.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
