{"id":5562,"date":"2021-02-18T10:13:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T15:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/collectif.lesartsmartial.com\/?p=5562"},"modified":"2025-08-12T00:18:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:18:07","slug":"february-2021-newsletter-of-the-physicians-alliance-against-euthanasia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collectifmedecins.org\/en\/february-2021-newsletter-of-the-physicians-alliance-against-euthanasia\/","title":{"rendered":"February 2021 Newsletter of the Physicians\u2019 Alliance against Euthanasia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Did you have a negative experience with MAiD? Share your personal experience with MAiD by contacting the\u00a0Compassionate Community Care helpline at:
1-855-675-8749\/ info@beingwith.org<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

News regarding Bill C-7:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week marked the Third Reading and debate of Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Medical Assistance in Dying) in what sadly seems like a rapid increase in the momentum of our treacherous descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill C-7 proposes to repeal current stipulations of the Criminal Code, which requires natural death to be reasonably foreseeable in order to have access to assistance in dying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, February 9th, the Senators voted to give the federal government 18 months to expand access to medical assistance in dying to people suffering solely from mental illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, February 10th, Senators voted to permit medical assistance in dying by advance request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final vote on Bill C7 is scheduled for today, February 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bill will then return to the House of Commons, which may or may not accept the amendments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the dismal proceedings, many Senators have been fighting hard on the political front lines to protect the rights of vulnerable Canadians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservative Senate leader Don Plett <\/strong>proposed two amendments, which were both rejected. One was aimed at protecting the constitutional rights of freedom of religion and conscience by making it illegal to compel a health professional to participate in MAID, while the other aimed at protecting patient from coercion by requiring that the option of MAID be raised only by the patient, not by a health professional. Plett argued that the latter amendment would help alleviate the concern of people with disabilities who complained about feeling pressured to receive an assisted death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honorable Julie Miville-Dech\u00eane\u2019s speech<\/a><\/strong> in Senate echoes the concerns of many regarding MAID for mental illness. She cites the limited access to palliative care and other support services, inadequate safeguards, potential for abuse and the importance of studying the impact that expanding access to MAID will have on the most vulnerable members of society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We encourage you to contact the Members of Parliament and ask them to reject the amendments expanding euthanasia even further than in the original Bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous pro-MAiD sources have suggested that most Canadians are in favor of expanding assisted suicide. However as seen in the testimonies presented at the Senate hearings, there is no consensus in Canada on expanding assisted suicide and more and more groups are making themselves heard with regards to their opposition to Bill C-7:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Nations leaders say Bill C7 goes against their beliefs and values<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous leaders expressed their grave concerns regarding the impact of Bill C-7 in a letter to the Senate committee. Their letter urges Senators, Federal & Provincial Leaders and Regulators to uphold the right of the Indigenous peoples (and all Canadians) not to be compelled to collaborate in the provision of MAiD and the right to self-determination and to act on one’s conscience.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) <\/strong>urges Senators to support conscience rights: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week,  the  Ontario Medical Association sent out a letter<\/a> to both, Senator Mobina Jaffer, chair of the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs<\/a>, and Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliot, asking for conscience rights for physicians in the context of “medical assistance in dying”.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A group of Rabbis <\/strong>wrote a letter urging Senators to amend Bill C-7<\/a> to protect people from coercion, to ensure adequate allocation of resources for meaningful care and to ensure that doctors are not required to participate if it violates their religious beliefs or moral conscience.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Joel Zivot, Anesthesiologist,<\/strong> expert on ethics regarding lethal injection and physician assisted death, has raised a little-discussed issue: the experience of MAiD. He cites research indicating that MAiD may not be as peaceful and painless as generally thought. Click here<\/a> for Dr. Zivot\u2019s cogent response (available only in French) to a brief submitted to Senate by Senators Kutcher, M\u00e9gie, Moodie and Ravalia<\/a> on February 2nd refuting arguments presented by him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n