edited
11th Feb 2022
Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021 - in Committee - Definition of gene technology
Not passed by a small majority
No rebellions 80% attendance
9th Feb 2022, 8:19 PM – Senate Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021 - in Committee - Definition of mitochondrial donation licence
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of a motion that section 47 in item 103 of schedule 1 stand as printed. In other words, they voted to keep that section unchanged.
This was a free vote (also known as a conscience vote), which means our senators voted according to their own beliefs rather than strictly along party lines.
Text of Section 47
47 Interaction with the Gene Technology Act 2000
(1) A mitochondrial donation technique is taken not to be gene technology for the purposes of the Gene Technology Act 2000 when used as authorised or purportedly authorised by a mitochondrial donation licence.
(2) In this section:
mitochondrial donation licence includes a purported mitochondrial donation licence.
What does this bill do?
According to the bills digest:
Mitochondrial disease is a group of conditions that can cause serious health issues and, in severe cases, can cause death in childhood. There is no known cure for mitochondrial disease.
Mitochondrial donation is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) that can assist women to avoid passing mitochondrial DNA disease to their biological child. This technology is not a cure for mitochondrial disease but is rather a way to prevent children from inheriting mitochondria that can cause mitochondrial disease.
Under the current legislative framework, mitochondrial donation is illegal under the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 (Cth) and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 (Cth). The Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021 (the Bill) amends relevant Acts and associated Regulations to make mitochondrial donation legal for research, training and human reproductive purposes. The overall aim is for women at risk of passing on mitochondrial disease to have reproductive options for biological children without the increased risk of their child having mitochondrial disease.
Primarily the Bill makes changes to ensure that it is no longer an offence to create, for the purposes of reproduction, and under the relevant mitochondrial donation licences, a human embryo that:
- contains the genetic material of more than two people and
- contains heritable changes to the genome.
Read more in the bills digest.
Votes Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 9 Yes – 0 No | |
| Dorinda Cox WA | Yes | |
| Mehreen Faruqi NSW | Yes | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | Yes | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | Yes | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | Yes | |
| Jordon Steele-John WA | Yes | |
| Lidia Thorpe Victoria | Yes | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | Yes | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | Yes | |
| Australian Labor Party (84% turnout) | 15 Yes – 6 No | |
| Tim Ayres NSW | Yes | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Yes | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Yes | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | Yes | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | Yes | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | Yes | |
| Karen Grogan SA | Yes | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | Yes | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | Yes | |
| Louise Pratt WA | Yes | |
| Tony Sheldon NSW | Yes | |
| Marielle Smith SA | Yes | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | Yes | |
| Jess Walsh Victoria | Yes | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | Yes | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Raff Ciccone Victoria | No | |
| Don Farrell SA | No | |
| Kristina Keneally NSW | No | |
| Kimberley Kitching Victoria | No | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | No | |
| Nita Green Queensland | Absent | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | Absent | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Stirling Griff SA Centre Alliance | Yes | |
| Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party | No | |
| Sue Lines WA Deputy President | Yes | |
| Rex Patrick SA Independent | Yes | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 2 No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | No | |
| James McGrath Queensland | No | |
| Liberal Party (72% turnout) | 6 Yes – 15 No | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Yes | |
| Andrew Bragg NSW | Yes | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Yes | |
| Sarah Henderson Victoria | Yes | |
| Hollie Hughes NSW | Yes | |
| Jim Molan NSW | Yes | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | No | |
| Alex Antic SA | No | |
| Wendy Askew Tasmania | No | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | No | |
| Claire Chandler Tasmania | No | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | No | |
| David Fawcett SA | No | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | No | |
| Andrew McLachlan SA | No | |
| Greg Mirabella Victoria | No | |
| Matt O'Sullivan WA | No | |
| Gerard Rennick Queensland | No | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | No | |
| Dean Smith WA | No | |
| Amanda Stoker Queensland | No | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Absent | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Absent | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Absent | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Absent | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Absent | |
| Paul Scarr Queensland | Absent | |
| Ben Small WA | Absent | |
| David Van Victoria | Absent | |
| National Party (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 3 No | |
| Perin Davey NSW | No | |
| Susan McDonald Queensland | No | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | No | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (50% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | No | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Absent | |
| Slade Brockman WA President | No | |
| Totals (83% turnout) | 34 Yes – 29 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.