Surrogacy Laws in Australia

Surrogacy Update- Australia


The Western Australian Government's surrogacy legislation has received overwhelming support in the Upper House where members were allowed a conscience vote.

Five members voted against the Bill, which will allow couples unable to have a child, to have a baby through a surrogate mother.

The Bill was supported by 27 MPs.

Earlier this week, the Upper House amended the Bill to ensure the birth mother is aged 25 or older, and already has a child of her own.

Liberal MP Barbara Scott was among those who voted against the legislation.

"It is my view that every child has the right, an inherent right to know its origins, to know where it came from," she said.

"This Bill delivering us today in the third reading denies that to many children who'll be the result of a surrogacy arrangement."

The Health Minister, Jim McGinty, says there is no need for the Legislative Assembly to reconvene early, because the Government will immediately begin preliminary work on the legislation.

"I'm delighted that the surrogacy bill has now been passed," he said.

"It means that we can immediately get on with drawing up the protocols, getting the regulations in place so that we can start from today implementing the new law."