Since Bill 52, An Act respecting end-of-life care, is modeled closely on the law adopted in Belgium in 2002 - a law that reserved euthanasia to "exceptional cases, under strict circumstances" - it is worth looking closely at what has happened there. One quickly becomes aware of serious problems including the ineffectiveness of safeguards, the increasingly loose interpretation of the criteria, and the extension of the law to other groups of people. Here are some enlightening examples:

Another revealing example can be found in the Netherlands where the number of deaths by euthanasia more than doubled between 2003 and 2012, going from 1815 to 4188, or 3% of the total number of deaths. An ex-leader of the pro-euthanasia movement recently declared that there were serious problems with the law.

It is unrealistic to think that Quebec can legalise "medical aid in dying" (euthanasia) without the same abuses occurring here. One only has to look at the words of some prominent proponents of Bill 52:

  • "The question of patients incapable of consenting to care, including children, will inevitably have to be examined. To us, a certain openness in these cases would not be abuse but rather a more complete response to the initial question" (Collège des médecins du Québec, Brief submitted to the Commission on health and social services, September 17, 2013).
  • In a January 2014 interview for the radio show "The Current" (CBC), then Minister for Social Services and Youth Protection, Véronique Hivon, commented on the decision to extend euthanasia to minors in Belgium. After specifying that Bill 52 targeted only competent adults, she added: "It was important to do this to reach consensus, to be able to go forward. It was important to take this first step"...