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OTTAWA, January 31, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The BQ Party signaled their support for Bill C-13 yesterday, the assisted reproduction legislation currently being debated in the House of Commons.  Réal Ménard said “With the sense of responsibility that has always characterized our party, we will vote in favour of Bill C-13” saying the bill’s claim to ban cloning was his motivation.

Speaking on the bill, Liberal MP Paul Szabo, called for the regulation of the practice of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Mr. Szabo quoted a recent report by Dr. Françoise Baylis in the Health Law Review which “says that there are approximately 500 embryos in Canada that are stored in infertility clinic banks cryogenically. Of those, only about 250 would be available for research. Of those 250, only half would survive the thawing process. In other words, only 125 would be alive after being thawed out. Of the 125, Dr. Baylis then goes on to say that only about 9, in their experience, would actually be able to generate stem cell lines that would be identifiable. Of that nine, only about half, or five, would actually develop stem cell lines which would be of a quality that would be useful for research. In summary, only 5 of 500 embryos would be useful for scientific research.”

Commenting on the report Mr. Szabo said, “How outrageous that we would destroy 495 lives so that we could get 5 stem cell lines. That is absolutely outrageous.”  He warned that Dr. Baylis’ report that there are not enough embryos strengthens the position against embryo research.  Destructive embryo research should not be tolerated, let alone creation of embryos specifically for research, he suggested.  See yesterday’s debate in the Hansard at:  https://www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/049_2003-01-30/HAN049-E.htm