A Canadian MP is attempting to make payments to surrogate mothers legal.
The bill which would remove the current prohibition was introduced by Independent MP Dean Del Mastro.
Canadian law, more specifically the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, says that a commercial incentive for surrogacy is “for health and ethical reasons, a crime”.
Del Mastro claims that the current rules are forcing some potential parents to look abroad in order to find a surrogate or even entering into “black market unregulated arrangements within Canada”.
He said that many Canadians are going to the United States, where payment for surrogates is legal, in order to “make their dream of having children come true”, but at a great financial cost.
He added that those who wanted to have children through a surrogate but could not afford to search abroad were being denied the chance under the current rules.
In a statement regarding the introduction of his bill, Del Mastro claimed that Canada was “lagging behind” the United States on this issue, citing the many states with “a solid system” of regulation on surrogacy agreements.
He said that the California was “an outstanding model” for Canada to build upon, considering the state having “the strongest and most comprehensive laws respecting surrogacy in the U.S.”
He added:
“Governments in Canada which already allow for surrogacy and recognize children born under surrogacy agreements in foreign jurisdictions should move to allow these Canadian children to be born in Canada under a strong structured Canadian system.”
Photo of the Canadian flag by Jared Grove via Wikipedia
Good news for IVF! Compassion is the cornerstone of IVF and every participant must be protected. What if an intended parent abandons the IVF child and the surrogate, who pays the surrogate? WHat about the welfare of the child? Let us hope such forward thinking becomes the norm. Support #IVF rights. chn.ge/1oltFl5