http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/greg-donnelly/ Before entering the NSW Legislative Council in February 2005, Greg Donnelly was a full-time official of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association NSW Branch (Shop Assistants Union). He commenced with the union in 1986 and worked in a number of roles including branch secretary for nine years before entering Parliament. Greg is a Member of the NSW Legislative Council and was re-elected at the recent state election. He sits on six Parliamentary Committees - General Purpose Standing Committee 3,  Law and Justice, Social Issues, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Procedure and Privileges. He is Duty MLC for the electorates of Manly, Hornsby and Clarence. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tasmanias-surrogacy-bill-is-a-real-dogs-breakfast/ A few years ago, my wife suggested that we get a pet dog for the kids. The arguments were assembled: it is good for children to learn how to treat animals properly, it will get them outdoors and off the computer, they will get exercise by taking it around the block etc. By the time we got the cute little thing air freighted to Sydney from the breeding kennel interstate, we had signed for it three times. Once when placing the order for the dog, once when booking it to be sent to Sydney and one more time when I picked it up at the airport. No signature, no puppy. Not once, but three times. And the point of this story? Well at the moment the Tasmanian Parliament is debating a bill dealing with surrogacy. The bill in its current form permits two men, two women, a single man and even a heterosexual couple to enter into a surrogacy arrangement with a female person, to be known as the “birth mother”, who will seek to become pregnant and give birth to a child. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Greg Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tasmanias-surrogacy-bill-is-a-real-dogs-breakfast/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tasmanias-surrogacy-bill-is-a-real-dogs-breakfast/#item5657 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:40:20 +0000 Greg Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-shouldnt-be-changed-in-nsw-to-allow-gay-adoption/ For reasons beyond their control there are children, indeed babies, who find themselves in circumstances where the state is their legal guardian. It is not the choice of the child nor is it a new phenomenon. Seeing them as particularly vulnerable, societies have taken great care to look after such children, especially if they have neither a mother nor father. Without a biological mother or father or suitable family member or relative, the state has deemed it in the best interest of the child to be raised by a woman and a man, a mother and a father in a permanent relationship. New South Wales has had responsible government since 1856 - over 150 years. Over that period, governments of all persuasions have acknowledged and supported the general proposition that a child’s best interest is served when that child is raised by a mother and a father. This has been seen, correctly in my view, as a valid principle that has guided our collective decision-making with respect to protecting the wellbeing of children. The principle is underpinned by that profound bond that exists between a child and a mother and a father; a bond that is intrinsically known and understood by all cultures, down the ages for as long as anybody can remember. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Greg Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-shouldnt-be-changed-in-nsw-to-allow-gay-adoption/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-shouldnt-be-changed-in-nsw-to-allow-gay-adoption/#item3536 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:50:24 +0000 Greg Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch