Dear friends,
The Quebec Select Committee on the Evolution of the Act respecting end-of-life care issued a news release (only available in French) on June 28th, 2021, announcing that it is entering the next phase of its tenure, which includes a public consultation.
The Committee has invited the public to express their views on the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for people who are incapable of decision-making and for those whose only medical problem is a mental illness.
This is an incredibly important opportunity for us to voice our opinion on the dangers of providing increased access to MAiD (and even more so without increasing access to specialized care).
We strongly encourage all our members and supporters to participate! If left unchecked, the expansion of MAiD will contribute to the weakening of a Canadian society that genuinely values and cares for its most vulnerable members and of our medical profession.
You can help by:
1) Completing an online survey (23 questions on 6 pages) by August 24, 2021.
If there is no answer for a question, please select the response “I don’t know”. You will be able to attach a document to supplement your answers at the end of the questionnaire.
Please note that there have been issues with accessing the online survey in English. We recommend that you click on the following link to access the online survey in French and then change the language option (using the drop-down list that is available in the top, right-hand corner of the page) to access the English version of the survey.
Online French Survey: https://questionnaire.simplesondage.com/f/s.aspx?s=6a94e598-5c7a-48a0-b47c-0f56d0601fe0&lang=FR&r=ade6e133-3046-4404-851e-2b5623e5bca1
2) Submitting a brief (by August 24) via email at: CSSFV@assnat.qc.ca
3) Participating in the Commission’s second round of public hearings (deadline for application to participate: July 23, 2021). As a witness, you will be invited to share your personal experiences and/or opinions directly with the members of the Commission. To make a request to participate or for information, please use the above email: CSSFV@assnat.qc.ca.
If you are interested in submitting a brief or participating in the second round of public hearings, we invite you to contact us at info@collectifmedecins.org to enable us to coordinate our efforts.
The Physicians’ Alliance will share a brief with the commission and we hope to be invited to testify at the public hearings in August.
To prepare for your participation, we recommend a few important resources that we have included below.
Now is the moment to voice our opinion! We count on your efforts and support!
We are strengthened by our commitment to true care.
Sincerely,
Catherine Ferrier
President
Important resources:
1.The consultation paper on the evolution of the Act respecting end-of-life care which defines some of the terms that are used in the questionnaire.
2. The interventions of some of the witnesses at the Phase 1 hearings, listed in our June Newsletter.
3. Please click here to consult all the briefs tabled under the order to the committee « Special consultations and public hearings on the Evolution of the Act respecting end-of-life care »
Here are some important dates to keep in mind:
July 23, 2021: Deadline for submitting a participation request.
August 9–24, 2021: Second phase of public hearings.
August 24, 2021: Deadline for taking part in the online consultation and for submitting a brief.
November 19, 2021: Deadline for the Commission to file its report.
Special thanks to the Living with Dignity citizen network for the content provided.