Quebec introduces bill that allows assisted suicide
The issue of assisted euthanasia is one that has been greatly discussed among Canadian citizens for years. It’s a touchy topic and one that elicits strong opinions on both sides. However, Quebec is bringing it one step further with the introduction of Bill 52 by Junior Health Minister, Veronqiue Hivon.
As reported by the Montreal Gazette on June 12, Hivon initiated an all-party committee in 2009 to travel the province in pursuit of various opinions on the topic, and wanted to stress the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia. Hivon had noted, “There are general provisions and there is something specific about assisted suicide but nothing on euthanasia.”
Bill 52 addresses giving patients the right to medically assisted death as an alternative to agonizing pain. There are appropriate conditions, of course, including a minimum patient age of 18, and the written intentions of the patient, among others.
If passed, the bill will apply only to Quebec, but Hivon noted the province is considering spreading a message to other legal officials to not prosecute doctors who give assistance to patients seeking death as relief from suffering. The Gazette quoted Jean-Pierre Menard, a medical issues lawyer heading the panel that reviewed the committee’s report, saying, “The patient should have the right to autonomy in deciding, which includes the right to refuse, to interrupt or decline care, the right to palliative care… and the right to medical assistance to die.”
In July of 2012, a Canadian pro-choice patient advocate group named Dying with Dignity presented a public opinion poll by Angus Reid in which it was reported that 80 per cent of Canadian respondents were in favour of doctor-assisted death. The same poll noted that four out of five Canadians would like to see Parliament debate this issue.
While the opinions on legalizing assisted euthanasia may vary, it is clear that most citizens think it is at least a topic that needs to be discussed further. Hayley Andrews, a Western University graduate who has studied in Quebec, mentions the necessity of evaluating not just length of life, but substance and pleasure too. “We live in an age where humans have longer life expectancies – but at what cost to the quality of life? I believe that the complex debate of assisted euthanasia is one worth having – especially in a time of aging baby boomers.”
Regardless of the outcome of Bill 52, it’s interesting to see thoughtful and intelligent debate taking place on this important issue.