Posted on 11/28/2015 3:21:27 AM PST by markomalley
Quebec has refused an alleged federal request to suspend its “right-to-die” law, with the province’s justice and health ministers declaring the legislation will go into effect December 10 as planned, according to the Canadian Press.
Liberal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould reportedly asked her provincial counterpart, Stephanie Vallee, on Wednesday to hold off implementing the province’s Bill 52 so the federal government can draft its own legislation.
But Vallee says that Quebec will move ahead with Bill 52: “We’re staying the course, obviously,” she stated.
That leaves pro-life advocates with “our great hope” that Quebec’s Superior Court will intervene and block the bill’s implementation, says executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Canada, Alex Schadenberg.
Lisa D’Amico, who suffers from cerebral palsy, and Paul Saba of the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice, filed for an injunction November 24 to stop Bill 52.
They argued the Supreme Court’s February 2015 ruling striking down the law banning doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia was based on a case pre-dating Quebec’s June 2014 law, and that the province’s courts needs to consider further submissions in light of the top court’s decision.
The Quebec court’s decision on the injunction is expected Monday, Schadenberg told LifeSiteNews.
EPCC also intervened in case, arguing that the Supreme Court ruled that legislating on euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide “is in the purview of the federal government,” Schadenberg told LifeSiteNews.
“And minimally speaking, it’s a shared area of jurisdiction” between the federal and provincial levels of government.
But Quebec has decided unilaterally that it has “sole jurisdiction” in this matter, he said, adding it’s not surprising the province has bucked the federal request.
“They think that euthanasia is healthcare,” he pointed out. “Therefore they think that they are following what is considered constitutional. So they would think that there is no reason why they would have to change.”
Meanwhile, according to the CBC, Justice Minister Wilson-Raybould and Government House Leader Dominic LeBlanc have been clear that federal Liberals are going to legislate on physician-assisted suicide, with a view to the court-mandated February 6, 2016 deadline for its ruling to take effect.
LeBlanc told CBC Radio’s “The House” Saturday that the Liberals’ “immediate objective” is to strike a joint House and Senate committee to craft “quick and expedited” legislation.
Wilson-Raybould told CBC’s “The Current” Wednesday that the issue has “top priority” and that the Liberals have not ruled out asking the Supreme Court for an extension on the deadline.
“I’m committed to ensuring that we approach this issue in a comprehensive way that respects the personal beliefs and autonomy of families and individuals and also looks to ensure that we protect those who could be vulnerable,” she said.
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott also told CBC News that “outstanding palliative care” is needed and that “one of the things we need to do well is make sure that we consult widely in this process.”
However, the Liberals also announced in November that they aren’t interested in any recommendations on possible legislative options from the three-person federal panel the Conservatives appointed to provide such recommendations.
The panel, headed by palliative care expert Dr. Harvey Chochinov, has since July been consulting Canadians and international experts on legislative options to regulate doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Now it will report only the results of these consultations to the federal health and justice ministers when its mandate is up December 15.
As for Quebec’s Bill 52, there already has been backlash from physicians and palliative care workers, including the province’s 29 hospices, which decided unanimously that they won’t be killing their patients, or providing them the means to kill themselves. Staff at the University of Montreal health center’s palliative unit also voted the same way.
“The majority of doctors in palliative care at all of Quebec’s hospitals don’t want to do assisted suicide. It is a problem for administrators,” Dr. Catherine Ferrier, head of Living with Dignity and The Physicians Alliance Against Euthanasia, told LifeSiteNews. “Do they move patients out of the palliative care units if they request assisted suicide?”
But Quebec Health minister Barrette responded by threatening reprisals, fuming that this was “administrative fundamentalism” and that “they will force people in later life housed within their walls to move to access medical help to die? It boggles the mind.”
Euthanasia proponents urged him to de-fund the hospices.
And shockingly, Quebec doctors who do euthanize their patients or provide them means with which to kill themselves, have been directed to falsify the death certificates, according to BC-based conscience rights activist Sean Murphy.
A provincial guide for physicians released in August tells doctors to list the underlying condition that “justified” the doctor killing the patient as the cause of death, and not include the phrase “medical aid in dying,” Murphy noted.
Moreover, there appears to be great confusion among physicians and health care workers as to the bill’s provisions, and Schadenberg has been warning that the bill is sure to be abused.
Those abuses would include, as in Belgium, cases where “where euthanasia occurs without request, where euthanasia deaths are often not reported, and where euthanasia occurs for people who are depressed or experiencing psychiatric issues.”
Right to die is the next step. First will be the very few who request euthanasia due to great pain and suffering. Then the state will begin providing end of life counseling to the extremely ill and their families pressuring the patient to do themselves a favor and depart life sooner to avoid suffering.
Next will come state legislation compelling doctors to pull the plug on patients who have been “clinically dead” (as defined by government bureaucrats) after a defined period of time (first weeks, later days, later hours).
Ultimately we will get to Zeke Emanuel’s dream. The government will define an age at which life no longer benefits society. On your 75th birthday you’ll go to the local center where you will be “humanely” put to sleep. Of course there will be exceptions for the select few like Dr. Emanuel, his brother Rahm, and others who are deemed to still be making a contribution to society.
The government will save billions in health care and social security as a result of euthanasia. The other dimension of the program will be seizure of all assets by the government at end of life. After all, it will be for the greater good and it isn’t fair to pass down “advantages and privileges” from generation to generation.
Just like in “Soylent Green.”
I’ve never liked the term “euthanasia”. It’s a flowery PC way to make killing sound good. There is nothing good about killing a human. It may be necessary in capitol crimes cases, but at least here it’s called execution. Even when someone takes their dog to the vet to have it put down, it’s called euthanasia.
Hell, if we really want to be just all PC cool, lets start using the term like this:
“The bank robbers euthanized a guard and two tellers before making off with the loot.”
or how about
“Mrs Smith euthanized both her husband and his lover when she caught them in bed together.”
Now that sounds humane, doesn’t it?
there are what, 300k soldiers with head injuries from the Iraq war? That’s the number i thought i’ve read.
The brain injured suffer terribly. I have one and it really sucks! And it’s nothing compared to the majority of theirs.
But guess what folks. This is the life we got.
I’d rather go down swinging for our soldiers and pushing for better treatment and funding of research for these injured soldiers than off myself.
But scientists have to get rocking. WAY too many soldiers are taking their lives because of the suffering.
And though suicide’s always wrong, I feel in my heart God will not send them to a second hell.
We have to keep hope alive for them. they need treatment and cures.
Not mobile euthanasia vehicles.
Funny that there never seems to be a problem finding drugs (or methods) for patients that liberals want to kill...only finding drugs and acceptable methods for patients (i.e., inmates) that liberals DO NOT want to kill.
Death Panels
If I lived in Quebec, I'd put into my will that if I shuffled off this mortal coil from any type of euthanasia all my estate would automatically go to the SPCA.
Leni
Oooops. I thought it said for $10 bucks. Guess we can’t suggest that someone should take advantage of the offer huh? Isn’t euthanasia already ‘legal’ in a couple of states. That would be “progressive” states. Or do “they” just look at it as late term abortion.
“It’s just a flu shot.”
If it works like it did in Holland, old people will no longer go to the doctors as they fear the doctors will determine that the patient no longer has any “quality of life” left and kill them without permission.
“Right to die” will soon become “Duty To Die”...at least in the minds of many potential heirs.
Guess not.
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