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Backbench MP Plots To Block Bill On Cloning `Land mines ahead,' warns Szabo He's plotting strategies to stall bill Oct. 6, 2003. 01:00 AM VALERIE LAWTON - OTTAWA BUREAU OTTAWA—Long-delayed reproductive technologies legislation is finally expected to come to a vote by MPs this week. But opponents on the government's own backbench warn that efforts to block it aren't over. "There are a whole bunch of land mines ahead of this bill right now," Liberal MP Paul Szabo said. Szabo (Mississauga South) succeeded in convincing so many of his colleagues to oppose the legislation that the government was forced to delay plans to put it to a final vote last spring. He argues it could permit human cloning. Other pro-life MPs are angry about moves to open the door to research using embryonic stem cells, which they argue destroys human life. The odds of winning a vote recently tipped strongly in the government's favour when the NDP reversed course and decided to support the bill. New Democrats had opposed the bill because it didn't ensure gender parity on the board of a new reproductive technologies agency, but were swayed by a written promise by Health Minister Anne McLellan to try to ensure women make up at least half of those board members. The legislation prohibits human cloning, creating human-animal hybrids, sex-selection of babies for non-medical purposes and for-profit surrogacy. As well, it creates a new agency to regulate how researchers and infertility clinics use human sperm and eggs. The bill is the government's response to a now decade-old royal commission report calling for urgent action to put controls on reproductive technologies. Government House Leader Don Boudria said he's convinced there are enough MPs to get the bill passed. "What we're finding here is that members are turning around, and a larger and larger number of them all the time are now voting for it," said Boudria. "I'm very optimistic we can vote on it as early as (tomorrow)``Szabo, however, is still busy behind the scenes. He managed a filibuster that used up hours last week — introducing a motion to discuss a committee report on disgraced privacy commissioner George Radwanski, and having many of his colleagues prepared to speak on it. Senior Liberals said there will be fewer opportunities for Szabo to attempt that kind of delay. Boudria also moved to bar any new amendments that Szabo and his colleagues might try to introduce to the legislation. Boudria's office appears to be trying to avoid taking any chances, having recently watched Szabo help spearhead another Liberal backbench revolt against the government's plan to legalize same-sex marriage. The rebels almost succeeded in passing a motion supporting the traditional heterosexual definition on marriage. Szabo said he stayed up until the wee hours of one night last week, continuing to plot strategy against the reproductive technology bill. He is lining up as many MPs as he can to speak on the bill and eat up time as the Thanksgiving recess approaches. "It's timing. Every hour is important," he said. His goal is to find enough MPs to give speeches that will stretch out debate. "That would mean it doesn't go to the Senate until after we get back from our Thanksgiving week break. ... It would be quite unlikely (the Senate) would have enough time to do all the work they have to do and give it royal assent before the (Liberal) convention (in med- November)," he said. It's likely that a Senate committee will hold hearings on the legislation. Szabo is also talking to senators and has found some who would also like to see amendments; any amendment would mean the bill would be kicked back to the House of Commons once again for approval. Supporters of the legislation have watched the delays with increasing dismay. "It's exhausting and depressing for those of us who have been working for so many years to get something," said Diane Allen, executive director of the non-profit Infertility Network. SOURCE: The Toronto Star, Canada http://tinyurl.com/pvat * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn