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CANADIAN GOV'T ATTEMPTING TO QUASH CLONING CONCERNS

Vigorous Opposition to Motion 13 Confirms Government Duplicity

OTTAWA, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Expert testimony by former NIH bench biochemist Dr. Dianne Irving, who holds PhDs in bioethics and philosophy, has the Canadian government scrambling to try to convince Members of Parliament that its legislation on Assisted Human Reproduction bans human cloning. While Bill C-13 has always purported to ban cloning for both reproductive and therapeutic purposes, Dr. Irving has pointed out that the bill has clearly left certain types of human cloning untouched.

Following up on a brief to Liberal MPs from the Health Minister which attempted to assuage MPs concerns about cloning, several Liberal MPs addressed the House claiming that the Bill does ban all cloning. Liberal MP Judy Sgro, the co-chair of the Health committee which examined the legislation, attempted to convince politicians on this point. However, her sincerity was questioned as she objected to amendments to the bill which would do nothing more than to ensure that what she says was the case.

At least five of Sgro's constituents may be shocked at her misleading of the House yesterday. Sgro, a Catholic, met with five members of her parish - St. Jude's in Toronto - two weeks ago to ensure them of her moral stand on the legislation.

Another Liberal MP, Hedy Fry, well known for her inimical stance to pro-life issues, claimed that those pointing out that the bill did not ban all cloning were intentionally misleading politicians. Fry, a medical doctor, said that those who believed cloning was not banned were basing their beliefs on "bad science". Fry quotes geneticist Dr. Patricia Baird as saying, "Based on an incorrect understanding of the science, some have suggested that the bill doesn't ban cloning, but in fact on careful reading it clearly does."

However, despite these assertions Dr. Irving and other medical experts note certain types of cloning are still permitted by the bill. Interestingly one simple amendment, Motion 13, proposed by Liberal MP Paul Szabo, would explicitly ban all human cloning "by any technique," and yet is being fought vigorously by the Health Minister's office.

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