Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Lindsey McKay shared her research into transplant tourism recently when she appeared virtually before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

The committee, made up of Members of Parliament studying Bill S-223, sought expert insight as they look at amending the Criminal Code and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The amendment would make it illegal for Canadians to buy human organs in another country for transplant.

McKay wrote in 2016 about Generating Ambivalence: Media Representation of Canadian Transplant Tourism in the open access journal Studies in Social Justice. She told the committee the mainstream media creates ambivalence about transplant tourism by focusing on survivor stories of Canadians buying transplant organs in other countries and ignoring the fate of the organ sellers. This, in turn, allows Canadians to feel absolved of responsibility when it comes to the human rights and health outcomes of organ providers.

Anyone who is interested can get more details here: Foreign Affairs and International Development Standing Committee > Work > S-223, Watch on ParlVu (at 17:57-18:02), and Evidence (at 1755).