MP Committees feel “they are totally irrelevant…make work projects”
OTTAWA, May 6, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The federal Liberals have confirmed their intention to introduce a bill governing reproductive technologies on time this Friday. Insiders have revealed that the legislation will take a more liberal approach to regulating reproductive technologies than was recommended by the Parliamentary health committee that studied the issue a few months ago, reported Canada’s major news outlets today.
Critics, including Liberal backbenchers, have expressed their hope that this will not be the case, objecting to the irrelevancy of their committee work and warning against vigorous opposition to the bill during Parliamentary debate.
The issue that is causing all the controversy is stem cell research. If the government bill endorses the utilitarian approach of allowing research, and government funding for it, on embryos left over from fertility treatments, it “risks a backlash from Liberal MPs and other members of the Commons health committee,” reported journalist Norma Greenaway. An unnamed Liberal MP told her: “It wouldn't surprise me [if the government undid the work of the committee]. The committees are totally irrelevant. It's a make-work project. People [MPs] … have really little input into anything.” Alliance health committee member Rob Merrifield, said Health Minister Anne McLellan told him the bill would be taken through Parliament very quickly, to which he responded: “That depends on whether you listen to your committee or you listen to your scientists.”
The bill is also going to ignore the committee’s recommendation on reimbursing costs related to surrogacy, said insiders. They reported that the bill would allow reimbursement for some out-of-pocket, instead of issuing a complete ban on coverage for surrogacy-related expenses.
See LifeSite's Stem Cell page
https://www.lifesitenews.com/features/stemcellembryo/index.html