Surrogacy political debate heats up in Queensland

Surrogacy political debate heats up in Queensland

This morning I was surprised to get in the mail a letter from the Right to Information officer of the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, who told me that the reason that she was writing to me was that, as a third party, I was entitled to respond and if necessary object to a request under the Right to Information Act (a more open version of Freedom of Information) for a copy of the submission that I wrote to the Government about the proposed Surrogacy Bill. I posted the submission on this blog back in November.

                                                             

Who was the application by? The Opposition Leader, John-Paul Langbroek. The Opposition has its own version of the bill, which specifically excludes same sex couples, singles and heterosexual de facto couples who have not lived together for 2 years.  The fact that the Opposition is making this application to the Deparmtent shows that the political debate is heating up.

What surprised me the most was that I had always supposed that my submission was on the record anyway.

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

How I Became a Fertility and Surrogacy Lawyer

A legal career that began in mainstream family law evolved into one of Australia’s most specialist practices in fertility, surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology. Over almost four decades, Stephen Page has handled thousands of complex matters, influenced law reform, advised clinics, taught ethics and regulation, and championed the human rights of everyone affected by assisted… Read More »How I Became a Fertility and Surrogacy Lawyer

Lessons From My Own Surrogacy Journey

Stephen Page’s story is a frank, sometimes brutal, ultimately hopeful account of what it means to pursue parenthood when the path is anything but straightforward. From a childhood conviction to be a dad, to confronting infertility, miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy and the legal uncertainty around parentage, his journey illustrates the medical, emotional and legal hurdles… Read More »Lessons From My Own Surrogacy Journey

Australian Surrogacy Law: Setting the Record Straight on Misleading Claims

Response to op-ed in The Australian by Stephen Page On Wednesday, a UK writer and anti-surrogacy advocate wrote an op-ed in The Australian. I first became aware of the article when my colleague Sarah Jefford OAM told me. For some reason, the author conflated transmen giving birth with surrogacy ( I am still missing the… Read More »Australian Surrogacy Law: Setting the Record Straight on Misleading Claims

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board