Differences have emerged between senior ministers in the lead-up to a politically sensitive cabinet decision on stem cell research. Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane declared yesterday it would be "negligent" for Australia to abandon cutting-edge stem cell research and deny sufferers of many diseases "the very hope of science improving their quality of life". "This issue is obviously very emotive, but it has to be a rational decision-making process, because this is a research field which will progress around the world