John Key called on to retain Bioethics Council

Interchurch Bioethics Council (ICBC): John Key called on to retain Bioethics Council of New Zealand or issues of public interest could go undebated

Without the Bioethics Council of New Zealand there would be no bioethics committee, independent of any lobby group, to debate issues of public interest such as euthanasia, animal to human transplants, and the development of foods matched to human genotypes say Church bioethicists. No other ethics committee currently considers these important areas of bioethics say the Interchurch Bioethics Council (ICBC).

The ICBC, which includes a former member of Toi te Taiao the Bioethics Council of New Zealand, has written to John Key and strongly urged the Government to reconsider its proposal to dissolve Toi te Taiao the Bioethics Council of New Zealand for the following important reasons:

1. The diverse nature of Bioethics in terms of topics (reproductive, therapeutic, xenotransplantation, euthanasia, nutrigenomics, genetic engineering etc) and areas of concern (ethical, spiritual and cultural values), and the speed with which science advances and ethical issues arise, requires constant monitoring and consultation. This is best served by a dedicated monitoring group such as Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand who can then raise appropriate issue with Government.

2. An important role of Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand is to be forward looking and develop bioethical policies for various scientific advances before the need arises. Again, this involves dialogue and education which is best served by a dedicated publicly funded body independent of any lobby group.

3. New Zealand has been at the leading edge of debates over issues of public interest (eg genetic engineering), and the formation of Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand with its roles of dialogue and education is an example of this, with respect to the practice of deliberative democracy.

4. The role of Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand is general in nature and can not be assumed within existing ethics committees such as ACART, even though ACART is also charged with public consultation and the need to take ethical, spiritual and cultural values into consideration. However, ACART is concerned with human reproductive technologies, and this leaves other important areas in bioethics (xenotransplantation, euthanasia, nutrigenomics, nanotechnology etc) uncovered from now on.

5. The ICBC notes that Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand was established with its own budget and accommodated in the Ministry for the Environment, but that its brief spans a number of Ministerial areas including health, the environment, research science and development. We would suggest that the Bioethics Council be retained and report directly to the Prime Minister's department to ensure its work is more easily accessible across government.

With these points in mind the ICBC strongly support the role of Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand and urge the Government to retain this body whose work is important to New Zealanders.

About the Interchurch Bioethics Council (ICBC):
The ICBC represents the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches of Aotearoa/New Zealand. These mainstream churches have together approximately 1.2 million adherents. The Interchurch Bioethics Council includes people with scientific, medical, ethical, cultural and theological expertise. The views of the Council have been formed from the deliberations of its members.

Current members of the Interchurch Bioethics Council:

Rev Dr Barbara A Peddie (Chairperson), PhD (Ag Microbiology), B Theol, ex Vice-President Methodist Church of New Zealand.

Rev Dr Graham OBrien PhD (Cellular and Molecular Biology), M Theol (Anglican).

Professor Grant Gillett, Professor of Medical Ethics, Otago School of Medicine and Dunedin Hospital (Anglican).

Dr Helen Bichan, FRANZCP, FAFPHM, past member of Toi te Taiao, the Bioethics Council of New Zealand, community health focus, Presbyterian lay preacher, ex member Presbyterian Council of Assembly.

Dr Briar Peat FRCAP, Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Auckland School of Medicine, Anglican Lay Canon, Auckland Cathedral.

Dr Steven Garner PhD (Theology), Lecturer in Practical Theology, Auckland University, (Presbyterian).

Ms Bella Ngaha MA, Lecturer in Maori Studies, Auckland University, (Methodist).

Ms Deborah Stevens MBioethics, BSc (Psych), bioethics advisor to Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Anglican).

Dr Alan Stewart, PhD (Plant Science), plant scientist, (Methodist).

Dr Joy McIntosh, PhD (Cell and Molecular Biosciences), Research Fellow, Reproductive Biology Group, Victoria University, (Presbyterian elder).

ENDS

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