Bill S-240 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (trafficking in human organs)

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to create new offences in relation to trafficking in human organs. It also amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada if the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is of the opinion that they have engaged in any activities relating to trafficking in human organs.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to stand today to present a petition calling on Parliament to examine the scourge of organ harvesting.

The petitioners are asking for the quick and expedient passage of Bill C-350 and Bill S-240.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with respect to my private member's bill, Bill C-350, as well as a similar bill in the Senate, Bill S-240.

The petitioners call on the government and all parliamentarians to support the speedy passage of these bills. They would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad and receive an organ for which there was not consent. This is an effective legislative tool to combat the scourge of forced organ harvesting.

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition says that the undersigned residents of Canada draw to the attention of the House of Commons that whereas increased concern about international trafficking in human organs removed from victims without consent has not yet led to legal prohibition on Canadians travelling abroad to acquire or receive such organs and whereas there are currently two bills before the Parliament proposing to impede the trafficking of human organs obtained without the consent or as a result of financial transaction, Bill C-350 in the House of Commons and Bill S-240 in the Senate, the undersigned urge the Parliament of Canada to move quickly on the proposed legislation so as to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition. There are two bills before Parliament proposing to impede the trafficking of human organs obtained without consent or as a result of a financial transaction: Bill C-350 in the House, and Bill S-240 in the Senate. Therefore, I am pleased to present these signatures from people mostly in the greater Toronto area urging the Parliament of Canada to move quickly on the proposed legislation to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to prohibit such acts.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on the serious issue of international trafficking in human organs that are removed from victims without their consent. There are two pieces of legislation currently before the House, Bill C-350 and S-240 from the Senate. Constituents are urging the Parliament of Canada to move quickly to get legislation in place to prohibit this heinous act.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to present two petitions today.

The first is in support of my private member's bill, Bill C-350, that deals with forced organ harvesting, as well as a similar bill in the Senate, Bill S-240. I note that the Senate was on the verge of passing it last night, but other matters intervened. I am hopeful that Bill S-240 will be passed as soon as the House returns so we can get on with addressing this important matter in the chamber.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, increasing concerns about international trafficking in human organs removed without consent continues to be an issue that requires legislation to be brought forward. There are currently two bills before Parliament proposing to impede the trafficking of human organs, Bill C-350 and Bill S-240. The petitioners ask the government to support this.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present two petitions. I join with many colleagues in supporting two private members' bills that are currently before Parliament, Bill C-350 from the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, and Bill S-240, which started in the Senate.

These bills aim to make it illegal for Canadians and all permanent residents or foreign nationals to participate in the abhorrent trade of human organs removed without consent or as the result of a financial transaction. The petition is clearly widely supported.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in also tabling a petition highlighting the issue of international organ trafficking. There are two bills: one before this House, my private member's Bill C-350, which was actually proposed by Irwin Cotler in a previous Parliament, as well as Bill S-240, proposed by Senator Salma Ataullahjan in the other place.

These are important bills that would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad to receive an organ harvested without consent. Petitioners are asking the government to pass at least one of these bills expeditiously, so we can move forward and be part of the solution to this global problem.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, there are increasing concerns about international traffic in human organs. There are two bills addressing these concerns, Bill C-350 before the House and Bill S-240 in the other place. The petitioners are urging the Parliament of Canada to move quickly on proposed legislation to amend the Criminal Code. This would prohibit Canadians from travelling abroad to acquire human organs removed without consent, and bar any permanent residents or foreign nationals who participate in this abhorrent trade.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition regarding human organ trafficking. In light of a continued global market for illegally harvested human organs, the petitioners are asking that Parliament and the Government of Canada move quickly to ensure that Bill C-350, which is before this House, and Bill S-240, which is in the other place, are passed, and that Canada does its share to combat organ harvesting and trafficking.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition that supports Bill C-350 in the House of Commons, and Bill S-240 in the Senate, which deal with the trafficking of human organs obtained without consent or as a result of a financial transaction. These bills would make it illegal to acquire and would prohibit Canadians who are travelling abroad from acquiring human organs removed without consent or as a result of a financial transaction, and would render inadmissible to Canada any and all permanent residents or foreign nationals who have participated in this abhorrent trade in human organs.

I would like to recognize the work of my neighbour, the MP for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan on this issue.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to present a very important petition from Canadians from coast to coast to coast concerned about the issue of organ harvesting, organs taken from victims without their consent.

Two bills are currently before Parliament, one put forward by the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan and one that emanates from the Senate, Bill C-350 and Bill S-240.

The petitioners call on Parliament to pass this legislation quickly so we can protect people in foreign countries from the risks of this extremely devastating thing. It is hard to even imagine organ harvesting without consent.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my friend from Etobicoke Centre, and other colleagues, in also tabling a petition in support of Bill C-350 and Bill S-240.

I tabled Bill C-350, and it was seconded by the member for Etobicoke Centre, who had a similar bill in a previous Parliament. These bills deal with the scourge of forced organ harvesting, organs taken from people, often political prisoners, without their consent. These bills would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad to get an organ for which there was no consent.

We cannot completely stop this practice, but we can stop Canadians from being complicit in it. The signatories urge Parliament to pass these bills quickly.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour of presenting a petition signed by Canadians from across the country.

The petitioners express great concern about the harvesting and trafficking of human organs and body parts without consent and for profit, as documented by the independent Matas-Kilgour investigations.

In an effort to put a stop to the industry of harvesting and trafficking of human organs and body parts, the petitioners urge Parliament to adopt House Bill C-350 and Senate Bill S-240. These bills continue the work of Bill C-500 and Bill C-381, introduced by myself in 2008 and 2009, and Bill C-561, introduced by Irwin Cotler in 2013.

The petitioners urge Parliament to move quickly on this legislation and end this horrific multi-million dollar industry.