Catholic MP an IVF Father

I mentioned in this post about Senator Stephen Conroy's abstention from the embryonic stem cell vote. His abstention was made all the more notable by this story which broke the evening before.

BY ONE measure, Labor senator Stephen Conroy would seem an unlikely candidate for an ethically controversial path to fatherhood.

A practising Catholic, he has been labelled "the altar boy" by Liberals from across the chamber. He underlined his socially conservative credentials this year by voting against the abortion drug RU486 in a conscience vote.

But when it came to having his own child, the Victorian senator best known as a right-wing factional headkicker took anything but a conservative course.

Yesterday, his first child, Isabella Conroy, entered the world courtesy of her surrogate mother.

Isabella is a gift to her ecstatic parents, Senator Conroy and his wife, Paula Benson, from two altruistic women: a surrogate mum and an egg donor, both of whom have chosen to remain anonymous.
More...

There is, I expect, another story brewing out of Victoria. I have word that a woman MP in Victoria has publically announced her support for changes to the abortion laws (negative changes) in that state... this woman is a 'Special Minister of the Eucharist' at her local Catholic Parish.

Update: CathNews' story worth a read with comments from Card. Pell and Arch. Hart.

Update: Card. Pell's comments in The Age - Cardinal fears for Conroy baby's future

Update: Conroy may have to flee law