By Cason Ho

Copyright abc

Western Australian Labor MP John Carey has revealed he is a sperm donor for five children, as parliament debates legislation to change the state’s surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) laws.

Mr Carey gave a personal account of his experience with surrogacy in parliament on Tuesday.

“There is a fundamental change in the way that families are both seen, and viewed, and understood, but also created,” Mr Carey said.

“It’s normalised. It is no longer viewed as deviant.”

Mr Carey said he was approached by a couple to be a sperm donor.

“I was prepared to, however … my mum was on her brave journey against terminal brain cancer, and accordingly I did not opt to do it at the time,” he said.

“However, I was again approached to be an anonymous donor, and given the critical demand, I did.

“So, in accordance with the current law, what I can say is that there is a number of loving families right now that have children as a result of that decision.”

Mr Carey’s office has confirmed he donated sperm for five children.

Parliament divided

The WA government introduced legislation in August to “streamline and modernise” the state’s assisted reproductive laws.

WA is the only state where same sex couples and single men are not allowed to access surrogacy, something the proposed reforms will attempt to address.

“Technology has changed, and so the way that families have formed have changed, so my question is this … who do we give that technology to?” Mr Carey said.

Opposition health spokesperson Libby Mettam said the bill did not have enough provisions to ensure advocacy on behalf of surrogate children.

“My foremost concern is the dilution of rights of children born via surrogacy, my other concerns are the potential for the creation of children with no one willing to raise them,” she said.

“I would urge those who support this bill, because of the accommodations it makes for social infertility, to think carefully about the additional aspects of this bill.”

Liberal MP for Nedlands, Jonathan Huston, also shared his personal experience of fatherhood.

“As it turns out I’m a father of two IVF daughters, and I was very fortunate to have them,” he said.

“This bill is about people and it’s about freedom. And, to me, it’s about the right of every West Australian to choose, to decide, to shape their own destiny.

Opposition leader Basil Zempilas has also thrown his weight behind the legislation.

“I will be supporting this bill so that this can become a reality, that those in WA who cannot access surrogacy, those West Australians, will be able to access surrogacy,” he said.

“If the barriers no longer exist in other jurisdictions around Australia for people to become surrogates, and to be able to access surrogacy, why should those barriers exist here in WA?”

Nationals leader Shane Love raised “serious concerns” with the bill, citing the experiences of forced adoptees who were removed from their families at birth.

“The bill expands surrogacy well beyond cases of medical infertility, it allows almost any adult to enter into such an agreement regardless of age or circumstance.”