"When the Qld parliament votes on cloning later this year, they will not just be voting on whether Qld researchers will be allowed to create a human embryo to destroy it for its stem cells. They could literally be voting on whether or not to give the world the technology for reproductive human cloning," said Senator Boswell, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate, at a breakfast function in Toowoomba on Saturday.

"The technology is the same."

"While Qld law may prevent scientists here from implanting the embryo clone in a woman's body, they will never prevent the technology from being used overseas where there are no regulations."

"A vote in the Qld parliament for cloning is a vote down the track for reproductive cloning."

"Our parliaments have to decide whether to say 'stop' or 'go' to:-

• Exploiting women to get the large number of  eggs required;
• Creating an embryo that is a copy of another person;
• Creating technology that will be used by unethical scientists overseas for human reproductive cloning, and human/animal hybrids;
• Creating intellectual property that will belong to a select few;
• Delaying resources to the more efficient and likely sources of therapies - adult stem cell technology, and
• Creating a class of human life with the goal of destroying it to benefit another class of human life. "

“ "The Lockhart report found that “embryonic stem cell research findings have not yet translated into any clinical trials or treatments... Most of these trials have involved adult stem cells because, at this stage, embryonic stem cell research has not reached the stage needed to start clinical trials (i.e., proof of principle of a safe and efficacious treatment in animal models)."

Senator Boswell said that he strongly opposed embryo cloning and lobbied the government to secure $21m funding for the world's first adult stem cell centre at Griffith University.

"We can have faith in these scientists to deliver good science and therapies efficiently and ethically."

ENDS

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