The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, on May 9, 2002 introduced in the House of Commons an Act Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction. The proposed legislation will govern the use of embryonic stem cells in health research.

The ALS Society of Canada (along with MDAC and the Parkinson's Society) welcomes the Minister's proposed legislation for the following reasons:

• Stem cell research offers the hope of significant progress in both drug design and testing, and in the search for the cause of and a cure for many diseases and conditions, including ALS. This legislation balances difficult issues with the promise of discoveries possible through health research carried out in a respectful manner.

• The proposed legislation establishes appropriate regulation and parameters on stem cell research that are acceptable to Canadians and within which scientists can conduct their research. This is crucial given the policy vacuum that presently exists.

• The proposed legislation reflects the broad agreement among Canadians (over 70% of those polled by the ALS Society, MDAC, & Parkinson) who favor the delicate balance achieved in the bill (in particular, the notion that embryonic stem cells would only be harvested from embryos leftover from fertility treatment and only with the informed consent of the donors)

• The proposed legislation provides that embryonic stem cell research can take place under license on the basis of a demonstration by researchers that stem cells are necessary for a particular project (i.e. a positive demonstration);

• The proposed legislation ensures that the Board of the Agency responsible for regulating such activity will be representative of a broad range of backgrounds. Our hope is that it will include Canadians who are personally affected by disability and diseases like ALS.