By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register
[Toronto – Canadian Catholic News] – Conservative MP Ed Fast said he feels his bill to stop the expansion of medically-provided euthanasia to the mentally ill is gaining support across the country, and even within the House of Commons chambers.
This conviction was validated to an extent during second reading debate on Oct. 5 as NDP health critic Don Davies signaled he will back Fast’s Bill C-314 on Oct. 18. That day the statute either advances onto study in committee or gets dismissed on the Parliament floor.
Davies said the current rush toward expanding access to “Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) on March 17, 2024, does a disservice to the Canadian public and psychological experts who believe the mental health apparatus is not ready for this profound change to the system.
Davies advocated for adequate time “to facilitate a comprehensive national conversation about acceptable safeguards and the availability of medically assisted dying for those suffering from psychological or mental health conditions alone.” This action “would minimize negative impacts on people living with mental health problems and illnesses when they are most vulnerable, and on their caregivers and health professionals.”
Davies also extensively cited findings from a poll jointly released by the Angus Reid Institute and the Cardus think tank in September. About 82 per cent of Canadians oppose expanding the medically-provided death system without investments beforehand into better access for mental health supports, and 52 per cent fear if this procedure does get wider approval, treating mental health will no longer be viewed as a priority.
Fast told The Catholic Register that he and other Canadians seek to roll back euthanasia so this country stops its descent down a slippery slope.
“Canadians are very, very uncomfortable with extending MAiD to the most vulnerable groups in our society,” said Fast. “It is not only the mentally ill. We know that the government has signaled that it is interested in extending MAiD to children, and children may receive MAiD without parental consent. That should be deeply troubling to all Canadians. I am also concerned with opioid-addicted people on the streets of Vancouver, Toronto and elsewhere. They have lost all hope of getting timely treatment and want to pull the plug on their life.
“The message that government should be sending is there is hope, and we need to do everything to help people find that hope.”
Fast shared the story of Donna Duncan during his parliamentary testimony. She was approved so quickly for assisted death — over the years she could not secure proper treatment for chronic mental health issues — that it blindsided her daughters Alicia and Christie, who reported this incident to the RCMP, suggesting this procedure was carried out by the practitioners in a shameful manner with no family consultation.
Meanwhile, Liberal and the Bloc Québécois speakers shared their intent to vote against Bill C-314.
Liberal Kevin Lamoureux said he will “fall back” on the “fine work” done already by the standing committees, stakeholders and mental health professionals on medically-provided euthanasia legislation and stick to the recommendation of allowing euthanasia access to expand in five months.
“Based on everything I have looked at and listened to over the last number of years, I have not been convinced that this is, in fact, the direction that we should be going with regard to Bill C-314. I am just not convinced,” said Lamoureux.
The Bloc Québécois’ Monique Pauzé took a more aggressive posture against Fast and his bill, accusing him of “blatant politicization of this issue.”
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