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MPs Pass Controversial Cloning Bill Opponents have vowed to stall legislation in the Senate Norma Greenaway The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, October 29, 2003 An unpredictable Senate became the last hurdle to enacting legislation that would allow stem cell research on human embryos and impose a ban on human cloning in Canada after the House of Commons narrowly gave its final blessing yesterday to the legislative package. The vote of 149-109 marked a first-round victory for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who has singled out the legislation as one of a handful of initiatives he wants approved before he leaves office in February. Opponents vowed, however, to try to slow or stall the legislation in the Senate. The chairman of the committee charged with reviewing the bill has already said the upper chamber will not be rushed to judgment. Hearings are planned. Lawyer Maureen McTeer and other proponents of the legislation cheered the Commons vote, saying it was time to put an end to the situation in Canada where there is no law prohibiting practices such as human cloning or commercial surrogacy. Ms. McTeer, author of a book on reproductive technology, said she has qualms about some aspects of the legislation but is confident it will prevent "monster medicine" while opening the door to promising research for the treatment of devastating diseases. She shrugged off the prospect of the legislation hitting a speed bump in the Senate. "We've been waiting 10 years," she said. "What's another month or so?" Hours before the vote, Health Minister Anne McLellan issued a final plea. "It's time to act," she told reporters. Ms. McLellan also said she is confident the legislation will not fall by the wayside again, as it has many times in the last decade of pitched ethical and moral debates. "As far as I'm concerned, it will become law." The vote ended weeks of suspense over whether the government, faced with a mini-revolt within its own ranks and stiff opposition from the Canadian Alliance, Bloc and Tory benches, could muster the votes to pass it. Paul Martin, the prime minister-in-waiting, voted in favour of the legislation. The government won the support of the 14-member NDP caucus by promising to aim for gender equity on the agency that will oversee implementation of the legislation. The NDP votes helped offset Liberal defections. Though close, the vote was not the squeaker some members predicted. Alliance MP Rob Merrifield said he hopes there will be enough opposition in the Senate to block the legislation. At a minimum, he said, he wants to force the government to split the legislation in two parts so the non-controversial proposals on human cloning and other prohibitions can be immediately approved and enacted into law. There is no agreement, however, even on the cloning provision. Liberal MP Paul Szabo, who has led the opposition on several fronts, said he's not satisfied the legislation will ban all forms of human cloning. Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, a physician, said she is delighted the bill is closer to law. "This is a very good thing," she said. Dr. Bennett says Canada is long overdue in putting into place a regulatory regime that, among other things, would govern fertility clinics. The Toronto MP said she is optimistic the Senate will deal with it quickly enough to prevent it from dying on the order paper before it can be enacted into law. "It won't die," she said. "It still has a pulse." Senator Michael Kirby, chairman of the Senate committee that will inherit the legislation, said he suspects he cannot begin hearings until early next year, but he did not rule out getting it approved and enacted into law before Parliament prorogues and a new election is called. SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen http://tinyurl.com/sy6c * * * Reference: http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/ubb/Forum71/HTML/009079.html Background: http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/ubb/Forum71/HTML/009020.html Parkinson's & Advocacy Read the Full Text of Bill C-13 - Contact Your Senator http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters/023.html#Canada * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn