MEDIA RELEASE
Rainbow Families Australia welcomes WA Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Surrogacy reform bill, calls for cross-parliament support
Rainbow Families Australia congratulates the Western Australian Government for introducing landmark reforms to modernise Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy laws. These reforms will ensure that everyone, no matter their gender or sexuality, can access ART without discrimination.
In short, this bill will modernise WA’s outdated surrogacy and IVF laws. It comes eight years after WA Labor first promised reforms. The last attempt to pass these changes was stalled by opposition in parliament and later put on hold while other legislation was prioritised.
Currently, outdated laws in WA mean:
- LGBTQ+ people, single men and others are excluded from accessing surrogacy and ART.
Many families have had no option but to pursue international surrogacy, which is:
- Emotionally and financially draining
- Often risky for all involved
-
Denying children the legal recognition of both their parents
Rainbow Families Australia Board Director Paul Hadfield-Jia has been an active and passionate advocate for these reforms, working tirelessly to make the system fair for all families in WA. He has shared his own experiences, met with decision-makers, and consistently called for change to ensure no family is left behind.
Paul praised the announcement:
“I welcome this long-overdue bill and thank the WA Government for taking this important step towards equality for all families. International surrogacy is not only costly but risky for those involved, but people continue to take these risks because there are no other options. WA is the only state where our ART and surrogacy laws violate our equality laws. They exclude and discriminate against LGBTQ+ people who want to start a family.”
He also shared his personal perspective:
“In 2021 I had a cancer scare and I suddenly realised that if I died, my baby girl could end up in the out of home care system even though my husband has loved and cared for her since she was born, because the laws do not recognise him as a parent.”
He described the reintroduced bill as a significant milestone:
“This is truly monumental legislation. It’s about allowing WA residents to create their families here safely in WA.”
Rainbow Families Australia now calls on every member of the WA Parliament to support this important bill so that same-sex male couples, single men, and LGBTQ+ people can finally access altruistic surrogacy and ART without having to leave the state.
Please note: while this bill has been reintroduced, it has not yet passed into law. It still needs to be debated and voted on in both houses of WA Parliament before it can become law.
Contact: Rainbow Families Exec. Officer Ashley Scott
P: 0402161643 E: [email protected]
