AS THE US GOES, SO DOES AUSTRALIA: States Look to Bypass Australia’s Federal Ban on Embyronic Stem Cell Research; Research Advocates Warn of “Brain Drain”

The political debate over stem cell research in Australia is following a pattern similar to the controversy in the U.S. This week, after Australian PM John Howard announced that he would support a continued Federal ban on medical cloning, a decision at odds with the recommendations of a recent independent commission, several Australian states are considering passing legislation that would bypass Federal rules. Meanwhile, scientists in the country are using the ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS frame to argue in favor of research, warning that a Federal ban could lead to a “brain drain” of top scientific talent. And politicians are arguing that the ban denies the hope for promising cures and treatments. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has this archived Web and radio report.