Mr. Speaker, the need for legislation governing reproductive technology is underscored by unscrupulous practices that amount to the production of babies for sale and for profit. Today's Globe and Mail describes a thriving underground baby making market that includes women who advertise on the Internet, agents who negotiate fees, and lawyers who draw up questionable contracts.
Twenty-one year old Krystal Morgan was talked into being a surrogate by a friend. She needed the money. She was promised $8,500 and a new computer. Another Manitoba surrogate code named Trish 74 was paid to produce a baby boy for a British couple unrelated to the child. A B.C. woman was offered $50,000 to produce a child using sperm from an unrelated source.
The Standing Committee on Health examined issues surrounding surrogacy. We have called for legislation banning commercial surrogacy to ensure women are not exploited and that children's interests and stable families are the focus of reproductive technology.
These issues underscore the need for the Minister of Health to act quickly and bring legislation back to the House without delay.