The unexpected election issue: where do political leaders stand on medical assistance in dying?
Guest blog by: Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director – Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Where do the political party leaders stand on MAiD (medical assistance in dying)
On September 11, a Québec Superior court struck down the provision in Canada’s euthanasia (MAiD) law requiring that a person be terminally ill to qualify for death by lethal injection. The court decided that requiring that a person’s “natural death must be reasonably foreseeable” was unconstitutional.
This language of this decision expands euthanasia to people with psychiatric issues alone.
In the televised debate on TVA, between political party leaders Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Lib), Andrew Scheer (CPC), Jagmeet Singh (NDP) and Yves-François Blanchet (BQ), Trudeau stated that he would not appeal the Québec court decision that struck down the “terminal illness” requirement and that he would craft a more permissive MAiD regime in the 6 months period ordered by the Court.
Similarly, the other party leaders supported a more permissive MAiD regime while Scheer said he would appeal the decision and would craft a revised MAiD regime.
Maxime Bernier (PPC) and Elizabeth May did not participate in that debate.
Elizabeth May is on record as supporting the MAiD law while Bernier has stated that the MAiD law goes too far and he supports the requirement of a psychological evaluation before approval.
The deadline for the federal government to appeal the Truchon Québec euthanasia court decision is Friday. Please contact Hon David Lametti and urge him to appeal the Truchon decision. Contact him at: [email protected]
