Toi Te Taiao: The Bioethics Council meeting minutes -  Monday 11 February 2008 and Tuesday 12 February 2008

Held at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, Wellington

 Present:

• Martin Wilkinson (Chair)
• Helen Bichan
• Marie Bismark
• Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop
• Mark Fisher
• John Pennington
• Rosemary Du Plessis
• Waiora Port
• Tahu Potiki
• Cordelia Thomas
• Moana Durie Sinclair
• Brett Stephenson
• Huia Tomlins-Jahnke
• Simon Wright
• Margot Schwass.

The meeting commenced at 9.30 a.m.

1. Karakia and Welcome

Martin welcomed everyone to the meeting and Tahu gave a karakia.

2. Apologies

Apologies for lateness from Simon Wright. 

3. Minutes of Last Council Meeting

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 November 2007 be accepted as a true and correct record and be placed on the website with the following amendment:

• In item 2, apologies from Peggy to be included. 

Martin/Tahu - CARRIED

4. Matters Arising from Previous Minutes

Action list:

• Book 2008 meeting venues – Completed by the Secretariat
• Produce a discussion document on the options for undertaking a project regarding embryo research   Completed by the Secretariat
• Circulate the Facilitators’ Guide and event details spreadsheet to all Council members – Completed by the Secretariat
• Working conditions of Secretariat – John Pennington has asked for a quote for putting in a glass wall
• Insurance options – Secretariat to obtain a private insurance quote and then put a formal request to the CEO on the situation.

 Action:  Secretariat

• Prepare a descriptor of potential topics for future work – Carried forward to the next meeting
• Finalise the budget – Meeting of budget working group to be arranged

Action:  Secretariat

Conflicts of Interest Register

It was agreed this should be a permanent item on the Agenda

Action:  Secretariat

5. Chair’s Report

Following on from the Chair’s meeting with the Secretary for the Environment and the hope for more environmental topics to appear on the work programme, John Pennington advised that the Communications section of the Ministry is keen to explore public engagement more than it has done previously.  The Secretariat will work on planning questions and follow this up.

The Council now reports to the Associate Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, The secretariat will be making a request for a meeting once she has been given official delegation.  The Secretariat does not have direct contact with the Minister’s office; the request has to go through the Ministry for Environment. 

Ministry of Women’s Affairs has approached Marie Bismark as they are interested in the topics of reproduction, sexuality etc.  Marie agreed to approach Steve Chadwick with a view to the Chair talking to her/them.

Rosemary and the Secretariat were formally thanked for all their work pulling the information on pre-birth testing together. 

6. Pre-birth testing discussion

Rosemary thanked the Secretariat for their very extensive work – particularly on the discussion forums.  Cordelia and Moana have moderated a third forum which finishes tomorrow.  The choice book had a huge response following advertising on TradeMe and there is a lot of material to come from the analysis. 

While the material is in draft form it provides an idea of responses and how people are deliberating and it can be taken further from there.   The demographic breakdown will be available in a week or so.  It was agreed that as Eamon has left the Council, thought needs to be given to find someone with a disability perspective to contribute to this report.

Action:  Secretariat

The Council then responded to and discussed a set of questions provided prior to the meeting.

The meeting closed for the day at 4 p.m.

Day 2

The meeting recommenced at 9.00 a.m.

7. Evaluation of “Who Gets Born?: Prebirth Testing”

Council members were provided with a draft of the evaluation report prior to the meeting. Julie Warren from CRESA joined the meeting and spoke to the report.

8. Prebirth testing continued

Council members discussed matters of bioethical substance arising from the project. They identified themes that had arisen in the various forms of deliberation and began discussing possible recommendations to be included in the report. The working group will meet again on 19 February 2008.

9. Spirituality

Professor Paul Morris joined the meeting and gave a presentation on Bioethics and Spirituality. He then discussed issues arising from the presentation with Council.

Dr Marie Bismark left the meeting at 1.45pm

10. Relationship with ACART

Council discussed the request in a letter from the Minister of Health that the Council lead work on certain aspects of assisted reproductive technology. Martin summarised the relationship arranged for previous work on using human embryos for research. Martin reported from a meeting that he and Helen had with the chair and deputy chair of ACART. It was decided that John Pennington would write a letter to Sally Stewart from the ACART secretariat outlining the Council’s thinking.

Action: John Pennington

11. Secretariat Report

The report was noted. The Report from the Wilf Malcolm Institute is available to Council members on request to the secretariat. The toolkit will be on the biotech learning hub website shortly.

12. Future work

Future work will be considered at a planning meeting in April. The secretariat will send a list of the criteria for selection of work topics to Council members

Action: Secretariat.

13. Other Business

Martin asked whether any Bills currently before Parliament should be considered by the Council. Cordelia advised that the Public Health Bill submissions close on 9th March 2008. She pointed out that Marie and Cordelia are on the New Zealand Law Society Health Law committee which is preparing a submission on the Bill.  Marie and Cordelia were asked to prepare a paper indicating whether there are issues from the Bill that are relevant to the terms of reference of the Council.

Action: Cordelia

The meeting closed at 4.00 p.m. with a karakia from Tahu

Action points

• Arrange for a quote for putting in a glass wall in secretariat workspace    

Action: John

• Obtain a private insurance quote for public liability insurance and then put a formal request to the CEO

Action: John

•  Prepare a descriptor of potential topics for future work

  Action: secretariat

• Arrange meeting of budget working group to finalise budget

Action: John

• Conflicts of Interest Register included as a permanent item on the Agenda                    

Action secretariat

• Find someone with a disability perspective to contribute to the “WGB” report

Action secretariat

• Write a letter to Sally Stewart

Action: John

• Prepare a paper indicating whether there are issues from the Public Health Bill that are relevant to the terms of reference of the Council

Action: Cordelia