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FEDERAL OPPOSITION PARTY OPPOSES DESTRUCTIVE RESEARCH ON EMBRYOS

Pro-Life Spokesmen Protest Suggestion of "Ownership" of Embryonic Children

OTTAWA, December 13, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The Canadian Alliance, Canada's Official Opposition, issued a dissenting opinion on a Commons Committee report, which recommended allowing destructive research on human embryos. The Commons report suggested a ban on all human cloning - both reproductive and cloning for research purposes.

The Minority report, issued by the Canadian Alliance in response to the Health Committee recommendations, demanded a clause in the legislation calling for "respect for human life." The Alliance report stated "we feel that the greater problem with embryonic stem cell research is that it involves the planned destruction of the embryo which is contrary to the ethical commitment to respect human individuality, dignity, integrity, and life." It recommended "That the final legislation provide for a three-year prohibition on embryonic stem cell research, and that the government strongly encourage its granting agencies and the scientific community to place the emphasis on adult (post-natal) stem cell research." The Alliance also called for a free vote in the House of Commons on all stages of the controversial legislation and for the legislation to "include a directive to the effect that where there is a conflict between ethical acceptability and scientific possibility, the ethica! lly acceptable course of action shall prevail."

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) blasted the notion of allowing licensed scientists, with the consent of the 'owners' to use 'leftover' human embryos. "Children are not owned by their parents. They are not chattel. They are creatures endowed with inalienable, inherent dignity which must be respected to the utmost," said Jim Hughes, National President of CLC. "The committee's recommendations return our country to an era of human slavery where defenseless babies become a commodity to be used or killed as their parents see fit." Mr. Hughes said, "The Judges at Nuremberg assured the shocked world that the horrifying experiments carried out by the Nazis would never be repeated. Canada now proposes to use human babies as fodder for experimentation."

CLC applauds the recommendations calling for a ban on cloning and commercial surrogacies. CLC also praised the MPs who objected to the use of human beings for research and encourages them to continue to speak out on behalf of those whose lives are at stake.

See the House Committee report:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/InfoComDoc/37/1/HEAL/Studies/Reports/healrp01/06-toc-e.htm

See the Canadian Alliance dissenting report:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/InfoComDoc/37/1/HEAL/Studies/Reports/healrp01/15-ca-e.htm

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