A Yarmouth woman who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease is calling passage of Bill S-201 a victory for all Canadians.
The Act To Prohibit and Prevent Genetic Discrimination could have been weakened after Liberal MP Randy Boissonault introduced a motion to remove key sections.
Those related to penalties for genetic discrimination and language forbidding employers from subjecting job applicants to a genetic test.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Rayboldt raised constitutional concerns.
Liberal backbenchers voted in favour of the bill that would stop health and life insurance companies from forcing clients to disclose the results of genetic testing.
Trudeau said the proposed law is unconstitutional because it intrudes on provincial jurisdiction, recommending that MPs vote against it.
But most Liberal backbenchers, along with Conservative and New Democrat MPs, ignored Trudeau’s warning.
The bill passed Wednesday by a vote of 222-60.
Jacqueline Landry, Parkinson Canada’s Nova Scotia’s ambassador says many people worked very hard to get this legislation passed.
“We were the only G7 country that had no protection under the law, municipal, federal or provincial.”
She says a lot of people worked very hard to get to this point.
“Phone calls and emails and petitions. There’s people that have been working on this for two years.”
Check out this link:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Legisinfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=6257110&Mode=1&L…
