A Brisbane gay married couple's decision to deliberately deny a baby the permanent love and nurture of her mother is unethical, according to Conservative Party Senate Candidate Lyle Shelton.
"Sadly, children miss out on the love of their natural parents because of tragedy or desertion but it should never happen to satisfy the lifestyle demands of adults," Mr Shelton said.
"Just because technology makes something possible, does not make it right. As loving as two blokes may well be, neither of them can provide the unique and necessary love and nurture that only a baby's mother can give."
Today's Sunday Mail front page reported that South Brisbane gay married couple Stanley and Marco Oliveira-Gray engaged Stanley's sisters Louise Appleton and Amanda Gray in an altruistic surrogacy arrangement which enabled them to acquire baby Annabelle.
The confusing arrangement means three adults have a biological stake in Annabelle's life with a fourth having an emotional claim.
Mr Shelton said the ethical can of worms that is surrogacy has been well-documented through the heart-rending stories of victims of adult donor conception arrangements told to parliamentary inquiries in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Senate.
"Same-sex marriage lobbyists have been quite open about their plan to lobby for the lifting of the prohibition on commercial surrogacy so that two men can rent women's wombs and purchase babies. The question needs to be asked about where do the rights of adults end and the rights of women and children begin?" he continued.
"Sadly, these issues were not sufficiently debated during the 2017 plebiscite when Australians voted to redefine marriage," Mr Shelton said.
