Wider foetal tests ban urged

By SIMON COLLINS

A visiting Queensland minister is calling for a ban on using genetic tests on an unborn foetus for "non-medical reasons" such as choosing a baby's sex or looks.

Innovation and Information Economy Minister Paul Lucas says Queensland's Code of Ethical Practice for Biotechnology also bans the disclosure of anyone's genetic information to employers or insurance companies without the person's consent.

The code, adopted last year, is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world.

A New Zealand discussion paper on "bioprospecting", released yesterday, praises the code's provisions requiring that any benefits from native plants and animals should be shared with the landowner, local Aboriginal people and the Government.

New Zealand's Privacy Act already prevents disclosure of personal genetic information to employers or insurance companies, but last year's Royal Commission on Genetic Modification said the whole issue should be considered by the planned Bioethics Council.

Mr Lucas, who spoke yesterday at the Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference in Auckland, said the Australian Government was also reviewing the issue and legislation was likely.

The Queensland code of ethics also requires biotechnology researchers and companies to:

* Ensure that genetically modified crops do not damage the environment.

* Not undertake so-called germ line therapy by altering the genes of human sperm or eggs or using other techniques to pass on inheritable characteristics to future generations.

* Minimise harm or suffering to animals.

* Not clone whole human beings, although "therapeutic cloning" of genes and cells to replace damaged body parts is allowed.

* Not transplant animal organs into humans if to do so would carry unacceptable risks from animal retroviruses.

Mr Lucas said there had been no known contamination of natural crops from genetically modified cotton, which is grown commercially in Queensland.

He said the GM cotton had "massively reduced" the amount of chemical pesticides required on the state's cotton crop.

Yesterday animal rights activists kept up a barrage of noise outside the conference at the Sheraton Auckland.

About 30 protesters drummed loudly on petrol cans and cake tins and played a recording of a burglar alarm at top volume to get their message through.

Michael Wise of Auckland Animal Action said: "We won't stand for genetic engineering, and we won't stand by and allow animals to be tortured or murdered for GE."

The protesters had returned at 8am after leaving peacefully on Sunday night when asked to by police.

Inside the conference, Science Minister Pete Hodgson said the protest was a reminder that "science takes place in society".

"This country is engaged not only in the genetic engineering debate, but in debates that are just starting to come like stem cell research, xenotransplantation and cloning.

"Those technologies are coming towards us," he said.

Xenotransplantation, or transplanting cells from one species into another, has already become an issue, with proposals by Auckland's Diatranz to transplant insulin-producing pig cells into people with diabetes.

The Government has banned the process unless the Health Minister approves any specific proposal.

Mr Hodgson said the Government was spending $180 million a year on biotechnology research, and a lot of effort was going into addressing impediments to the industry's growth.

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