Editorial: Brighter future for fertility industry

Regardless of Queenslanders’ views on gender selection, the new IVF laws will be a godsend to couples, writes the editor.

Sex selection is a concerning trend in the IVF industry.

Shocking revelations that the state’s health ombudsman is investigating sex selection in the Queensland fertility industry will be disturbing to many people.

The concerns regarding the practice are so strong that Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on Wednesday tabled the new Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, making it illegal – and punishable with a two-year jail term – for doctors to agree to the demands of parents who want a boy or a girl.

Fashioning a baby to suit the wants of couples throws up serious ethical issues and potentially messes with the natural sex ratio of the population, and the government should be praised for taking such a strong stand.

Ms Fentiman yesterday described gender shopping as “dangerous and completely unethical” and vowed the new laws would put a stop to the “concerning” practice.

Under the legislation it will still be lawful to tailor to a certain gender for medical reasons, for example if genes like muscular dystrophy only affects males in the family.

It is clear IVF is an emotional hot topic. Just ask a couple who have had five boys and are desperately hanging out for a little girl.

But regardless of Queenslanders’ views on gender selection, the new IVF laws will be a godsend to couples. Clinics will be monitored by Queensland Health and simply closed down if dodgy practices are proved. Storage, screening and record keeping are all under scrutiny.

Queensland has lagged behind other states with this protective legal cushioning. Brave women armed with tissues to wipe their tears visited Queensland parliament on Wednesday to witness the tabling of the Bill.

These women have been fighting long and hard for IVF laws. They have alleged horror personal experiences and told their harrowing stories to this newspaper.

Their stories in The Courier-Mail shocked the Health Minister and suddenly the ball was rolling. The minister called for a systemic review into the state’s ART clinics by the Health Ombudsman.

They should be praised for their relentless fight to protect vulnerable Queenslanders trying to build a family. And the Health Minister deserves praise for listening.

As she stood in parliament, Ms Fentiman thanked the women for their bravery.

“The journey to becoming a parent is different for everyone, and those who struggled to conceive can experience stress and heartache,” she said.

“There have recently been concerning reports of failures involving providers in Queensland.

“I wanted today to thank and acknowledge the families and individuals who have spoken up and brought these issues to light.”

The state government is also setting up a donor register as part of the new ART legislative framework.

The register is designed to ensure families will have access to the full history of their origins.

Raising a family is one of the biggest challenges – and rewards – for any couple. It is about time those people using IVF receive the legal backing and support they deserve.

DELIVERING ON TIME A THEATRE OF DREAMS

The state government might as well stop providing expected project completion dates given its abysmal record of infrastructure delivery.

A new theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre is the latest in a long list of projects severely delayed – with construction challenges again blamed for the missed deadline.

The theatre was announced by Annastacia Palaszczuk in 2018, construction started in 2020 and it was supposed to be open in 2022, then 2024 and now 2026.

For comparison, a tunnel-boring machine excavated a 5.9km tunnel for Cross River Rail in just 10 months. That entire $6.2bn infrastructure project is right now on track to open at the same time as this problem-plagued theatre.

Make no mistake, the development sector has faced challenges, but it pales in comparison to the challenges created by this third-term Labor government’s CFMEU-placating Best Practice conditions policy.

That policy, dubbed by industry insiders as the “CFMEU tax” has created significant delays and added hundreds of millions of dollars to projects across the state.

The Coomera Connector has suffered an $864m blowout, the Gold Coast Faster Rail $3.1bn and Centenary Bridge $50m.

It seems as sure as night follows day, major state government infrastructure projects are delayed and over budget. Staggeringly, the state government can’t even publicly reveal how much this latest QPAC delay will cost taxpayers.

We tip they know the figure but refuse to say, probably due to embarrassment.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: Brighter future for fertility industry