{"id":15489,"date":"2023-10-20T12:55:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/?p=15489"},"modified":"2023-10-20T13:20:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:20:22","slug":"com-october-20-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/com-october-20-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Close vote outcome on Bill C-314 in Ottawa"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Strong transpartisan opposition to Medical Assistance in Dying for mental disorders<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Quebec must stand firm in rejecting this controversial expansion<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Montreal, October 20, 2023<\/span><\/b> – The Living with Dignity citizen\nnetwork (LWD) expresses its disappointment with the rejection of <\/span>Bill C-314, An\nAct to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)<\/span><\/a>,\nin the House of Commons on October 18. The Bill was narrowly defeated by only\n17 votes. Without this legislative barrier, Canadians who cite mental disorders\nas their sole medical condition could have access to medical assistance in\ndying as early as March 17, 2024. Given this situation, members of the Quebec\nNational Assembly must ensure that this does not happen in Quebec.
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A Transpartisan Vote<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>

While the Bill\nwas sponsored by the Conservative Party of Canada\u2019s Member of Parliament, Mr.\nEd Fast, members of the NDP and the Green Party joined their Conservative\ncounterparts in supporting it. Eight Liberal Party MPs did the same, resulting\nin a vote of 150 in favor and 167 against (<\/span>vote\ndetails<\/span><\/a>).<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

We commend this transpartisan vote, which clearly\nshows that the issue of expanding access to medical assistance in dying\ntranscends political party lines. We would like to thank the 12 Quebec MPs who\nvoted in accordance with the recommendations of the <\/span><\/i>Select Committee on the Evolution of the Act\nrespecting end-of-life care<\/span><\/i><\/a> (2021).\nRecommendation 11 of their report should not be forgotten: “Do not expand\naccess to medical assistance in dying to individuals whose sole medical\ncondition is a mental disorder.”<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/p>

– Jasmin\nLemieux-Lefebvre, Coordinator of the Living with Dignity Citizen Network.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

According to\none of the most recent surveys on the topic in Canada, it is worth noting that\nonly 31% of Quebecers support this expansion (2021). These data are reiterated\nin <\/span>the\nlatest study by Angus Reid<\/span><\/a>, which indicates that Canadians who struggle to get\nhelp in mental health are more likely to support expanding eligibility.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 <\/span>Quebec and Canadian Context<\/span><\/b><\/p>

In Quebec, the\n2022-23 annual report from the Commission on End-of-Life Care is expected to be\nmade public shortly. The Minister responsible for this matter, Ms. Sonia\nB\u00e9langer, received it no later than September 30 and is expected to table it in\nthe National Assembly within 30 days of receiving it. Given the concerns\nexpressed by the Commission earlier this summer (<\/span>which\ncan be read online, in French<\/span><\/a>), this annual update is eagerly\nawaited.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

In Ottawa, on\nOctober 18, Canadian MPs <\/span>supported\na motion<\/span><\/a> to re-appoint the Special Joint Committee on Medical\nAssistance in Dying (AMAD). This committee must submit its report no later than\nJanuary 31, 2024. <\/span>According\nto Recommendation 13 from the previous MAiD committee’s last report<\/span><\/a>,\nits mission will be to “to verify the degree of preparedness attained for\na safe and adequate application of MAiD (in cases where mental disorder is the\nsole medical condition).”<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

What will\nhappen if the work of the joint committee does not ensure this “safe and\nadequate” implementation?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The Federal\ngovernment will need to find a way to backtrack to prevent the premature deaths\nof the most vulnerable patients.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

There are\nnumerous reasons to oppose this expansion, <\/span>as reminded by the October 13 Brief\nfrom the Society of Canadian Psychiatry<\/span><\/a> (launched in\n2023 by Dr. K. Sonu Gaind, a professor of Psychiatry at the University of\nToronto and a former president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association), which recommends\nthat the planned 2024 \u201cMAiD for mental illness\u201d expansion be paused\nindefinitely.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

– 30 –<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The Living with Dignity citizen network will be ready\nto respond promptly after the release of the 2022-2023 report from the\nCommission on End-of-Life Care.
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Media contact:

Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre
Coordinator
Living with Dignity
www.vivredignity.org\/en<\/a>
438 931-1233<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


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Strong transpartisan opposition to Medical Assistance in Dying for mental disorders
\nQuebec must stand firm in rejecting this controversial expansion
\nMontreal, October 20, 2023 – The Living with Dignity citizen
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