Fed: Stem cell debate breathes fresh air into parliament

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Fed: Stem cell debate breathes fresh air into parliament

By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA, Aug 30 AAP - It was obvious from the day-long huddles and hushed tones thatpermitting stem cell research on excess IVF embryos created a moral dilemma like no otherfor federal MPs.

It also ensured a day like no other for political observers jaded with the rigid controlexercised over MPs by the major parties.

Politicians often rail against the lack of media coverage of debate in the House ofRepresentatives.

But journalists like to point out that the position of MPs on virtually every issueis well-known in advance, determined behind closed doors by the party hierarchy.

What happens in the house is usually redundant.

The decision by Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Simon Crean to allowtheir MPs a conscience vote on the stem cell bill and an associated bar on human cloningbreathed fresh air into political debate.

Many MPs were forced to drag their consciences out from the broom cupboard and brushup on their own research skills.

It was surprising how many said they appreciated the change during two weeks of debatewhich was far removed from the "house of yelling monkeys" image Labor frontbencher WayneSwan has railed against.

Take Citizenship Minister Gary Hardgrave's observation during debate on whether tosplit the bill from a human cloning ban yesterday.

"This has been a very difficult debate. I don't know of any other time that I havepublicly been involved in a discussion, or on the record anyway, in a sort of moralisingset of decision making," he said.

Labor's Christian Zahra (ALP, Vic) said MPs had "conducted themselves in terms of thisdebate in a way which is unusual in this place".

And Sophie Panopoulos said she wished the schoolchildren who troop in and out of parliamentto witness unedifying argument had witnessed yesterday's negotiations.

"Perhaps we may not have the same sort of cynicism and the same level of disinterestin the political process and in politics that we currently do," she said.

After two weeks over 100 MPs talked on the bill, some in the house and others in thesecondary debating chamber, confusingly called the Main committee.

The only other issue which attracts so many speakers is post-Budget debate, which isstrictly along party lines.

But all day yesterday Labor and coalition MPs sat beside one another. Liberal and anti-stemcell research advocate Chris Pyne (LP, SA) talked civilly to independents Peter Andrenand Tony Windsor.

Even government hard man Tony Abbott restrained himself to whisper to Labor frontbencherStephen Smith.

Mr Abbott even confessed he had harboured reservations about shifting the debate tothe Main Committee.

Labor's Anna Burke noted the only serious quarrel the debate had caused her was onewith her elder sister, who now refused to speak to her.

AAP rft/daw/mg/bwl

KEYWORD: STEMCELL PARLY (NEWS ANALYSIS)