Canada's Notorious Stem Cell Bill Passes in the Senate

OTTAWA, March 11, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, Senators gave final approval to Bill C-6, An Act Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction and Related Research. The legislation allows destructive research on human embryos 'leftover' from fertility clinics; it allows the specific creation of human embryos for the express purpose of research on IVF; sanctions destructive in vitro fertilization and its allowance for homosexual couples; and contains loopholes which would allow for human cloning for research purposes.

With all major pro-life groups in Canada arrayed against the legislation, the political arm of the pro-life movement in Canada, Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), and the educational arm Life Canada were both denied an opportunity to present with the excuse that the presentation by the Canadian Catholic Bishops Conference (CCCB) would suffice. However, in a substantial upset, the CCCB did not urge MPs to defeat the legislation.

In final arguments on the bill in the Senate both Wednesday and Thursday, Senators quoted over and over again positive statements on the legislation made by the CCCB during its presentation.

The pro-life movement lamented the bill's passage. "We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the passage of Bill C-6," said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition. "We had hoped the Senate would provide some 'sober second thought' on the issues after the legislation passed by such a slim vote in Parliament (149 to 140)," he continued. "Now we begin another era in the deliberate destruction and dehumanization of newly conceived human beings in Canada."

"We have no confidence in regulations to be set in the future which will offer no protection to human life," said Karen Murawsky, Public affairs Director of Campaign Life Coalition in Ottawa. "The restriction being offered will also likely be loosened in the future, when a three year review comes about," she added.

See the Senate Hansard on the Bill's final passage:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/3/parlbus/chamb
us/senate/deb-E/020db_2004-03-11-e.htm?L
anguage=E&Parl=37&Ses=3#71

See the full CLC Press Release
Senate vote will open the floodgates and cause the death of countless human embryos at
http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/pre
ss/