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CANBERRA - Thousands of Australians living with debilitating diseases have been given new hope of a cure, with federal parliament overturning the ban on therapeutic cloning.
Liberal senator Kay Patterson's private member's bill will allow researchers to clone embryos using donor eggs and cells without sperm, and extract their stem cells for medical research.
Prime Minister John Howard and new Labor leader Kevin Rudd both spoke against the bill before it passed the House of Representatives last night.
Mr Howard said he struggled with his decision, but ultimately could not support the bill to overturn the legislation passed in 2002 banning therapeutic cloning.
"I don't think the science has shifted enough to warrant the parliament changing its view," he said.
Mr Rudd said he found it very difficult to support a law that would allow human life to be created for the explicit purpose of experimentation and ultimate destruction.
Senior cabinet ministers Peter Costello, Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews also spoke against the technology.
It was the second conscience vote in parliament this year, following a vote on the abortion drug RU486 in February.
But after an emotional four-day debate, the final vote was an anti-climax -- with MPs electing not to call a division and have their choice recorded.
- AAP
