Scientists must stand up on cloning: Boswell

The National Party's leader in the senate, Senator Ron Boswell, has urged scientists to make submissions to the independent committee appointed to review federal laws restricting stem cell research in Australia.

The committee chaired by retired Federal Court judge, Justice John Lockhart, is conducting reviews of Australia's Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.

"Scientists need to stand up and be counted in the review of cloning legislation to be undertaken by the Lockhart Committee," said Boswell said. "I'm not a scientist, but I think those are the people that have got to be heard. Good men and women have got to come forward."

He said he was calling for science to decide the debate, not ethical positions.

"A lot of scientists are very sceptical of embryonic stem cell research and the claims that have been made by the people that are pushing it," Boswell said. "They are concerned that if they stand up and make themselves heard that their funding could be affected.

"I know many scientists and doctors who have told me that the claims that are being made by [people who are] the pro-embyronic stem cell research, and the people that want to clone, are nonsense."

The Lockhart committee met for the first time in Sydney on July 4, and reports of its reviews are to be tabled in the Australian Parliament and provided to the Council of Australian Governments by December 19.

Submissions to the committee can be made to Justice Lockhart, Legislation Review Committee, PO Box 3318, Manuka ACT 2603.