O'Connor Damien: Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
O'Connor Damien: Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
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Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR (Labour) 
: 
 I am speaking in this debate on the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Bill as a new member of the Health Committee. Like every New Zealander—and I guess Australian too—I am deeply interested in the area of assisted reproductive technology. 
I did not know whether it was a joke when I was asked to speak because I have had jokes made by my colleagues about me as the proud and lucky father of five daughters. They always have me on about trying to restrict reproduction in my family. I have to say that I am lucky I did not have the challenges faced by the many many people whom we are trying to assist. Since 1994 100000 people in New Zealand and Australia exist because of this new technology. That is something to truly rejoice in and celebrate. 
This bill is a relatively minor amendment bill. It tidies up some misunderstandings that have occurred as a result of the passage of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act in 2004. In reading through the notes—not the entire bill itself—I could not help but come up with a few points and questions. Firstly I have to acknowledge Di Yates. I can remember her in caucus going on and on about this— 
Hon Simon Power 
: Ha ha! 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: The member may laugh and I guess we underestimated the importance— 
Hon Simon Power 
: I had to live with it. 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: No no. As I said jibes were made at me at that time as well. It is important and technology is moving forward so quickly that we have to try to stay ahead of some of the ethical issues. 
Kevin Hague a fellow West Coaster raised a number of these issues. They are things the Law Commission has identified. I can see that other areas have arisen in the time since the passage of the original Act that he did not mention—for example DNA technology. This bill is ensuring that some eggs and sperm can be carried or stored beyond 10 years. That is great but there is still uncertainty over what that might mean long term. As my colleague the Hon Steve Chadwick said the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology or the Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology may come back in a few years time and say that we should wind it back a little bit from 10 years. This will be 14 years for some. We hope that with the best of intentions we are doing the right thing here.  
I come back to the question of DNA technology. I think we will need to bring that question back into the House. As the Greens have said we certainly support a review of the legislation so that as technology allows the identification of genetics traits in ova and sperm the selection process that could potentially occur in any storage system is assessed by the ethics committee. Should it or should it not occur? I know we have already got into some very tricky situations in this area. Technology will allow us to identify potential disabilities not in unborn children but in fact in the sperm and the ovum. How should we handle that dilemma? Having discovered what we can do and then evolving it how do we address the issues? These are issues of parental responsibility genetic identification with parents and any traits that children should know about. Who should make the call as to whether we identify through DNA technology genetic deformities that might occur in children born from this technology? I put that question on the table. 
I am a member of the Health Committee. I almost do not want to be part of the committee that deals with this difficult issue but someone will have to. 
Paul Quinn 
: Too much hard work for you Damien? 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: Oh Paul Quinn might. He is offering to resolve it. I can see the wisdom coming from him; he will be able to resolve it. I confess that the issues around the decision making are difficult very technical and of course highly ethical. 
I will not speak much longer on this bill other than to say that Labour supports it. It makes the necessary changes but let us not think for a moment that this is the last word in this area. As technology moves forward we will have to answer harder and harder questions and I expect that the incoming Labour Government next year will have to address these issues. Mr Power is looking very relieved that he will not have to address them as Minister of Justice. I can just see the weight going off his shoulders there; he is thanking God for that. In fact in the end God is probably the only one with the wisdom to make these calls. But ethics committees advisory committees Ministers and members of Parliament through the select committee will have to make the call so we are prepared to take that on as one of the challenges that we will have after next year’s election. Thank you.