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2014-06-08 00:19:11 UTC
Once again, it's Quebec that leads the country by introducing
legislation that will allow a person to die with dignity - and when that
person chooses.
For a province that so many rednecks and bigots want to vilify for a
myriad of reasons, Quebec is a leader in social programs, care for its
young and its aged, and now for those who are too sick or in pain to
want to continue living.
When it was discussed on CBC this morning, there were references to many
people who have said they would now consider moving to Quebec just to be
able to choose their time of dying.
And now, likely other provinces will follow suit with similar legislation.
Take that! Harper government. Once again, the leader PM is forced to
become a follower . . .
____________________________________________________
The Canadian Press - Published Thursday, June 5, 2014
Quebec national assembly passes right-to-die legislation
QUEBEC -- Quebec's landmark right-to-die bill was adopted by a sweeping
margin Thursday, making it the first legislation of its kind in Canada
and setting up a potential legal challenge from Ottawa.
Bill 52 carried the day by a 94-22 majority in what was a free vote for
members of the national assembly.
The legislation is officially dubbed "an act respecting end-of-life care."
Related Stories
MDs need to prepare for eventual legalized assisted suicide, some
doctors argue
It stipulates that patients themselves would have to repeatedly ask a
doctor to end their lives on the basis of unbearable physical or
psychological suffering. They would have to be deemed mentally sound at
the time of the requests.
The federal government has said it could challenge the legality of the
legislation.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal under Canada's Criminal Code
and Ottawa has insisted it has no intention of changing that.
Quebec politicians have argued that delivery of health-care services
falls under provincial jurisdiction and has said it is on solid legal
footing.
The bill was originally introduced by the previous Parti Quebecois
government last year but wasn't passed by the time then-premier Pauline
Marois called the April 7 election in early March.
The legislation, which had all-party support, was resurrected when the
national assembly resumed sitting following the Liberals' election victory.
"This is a law for people at the end of life and their families, but it
is also a law for all Quebecers who want to have assurances that if the
worst were to happen, they will be taken care of in the best way
possible," the PQ's Veronique Hivon, who sponsored the bill, said Thursday.
The bill had already passed numerous hurdles, including highly divisive
public hearings in 2010 and 2011.
A report from members of the legislature in 2012 suggested doctors be
allowed in exceptional circumstances to help the terminally ill die if
that is what the patients want.
A panel of experts later concluded that provinces had the legal
jurisdiction to legislate in matters of health.
The legislation has three main components -- it aims to expand
palliative care; sets protocols for doctors sedating suffering patients
until they die naturally; and offers guidelines to help patients who
want to end their pain.
It refers to medically assisted death with a doctor administering
medication to a terminally ill patient if they meet a host of
requirements, including filling out a consent form and gaining the
written approval of two doctors.
"The adoption of this bill is four-and-a-half years of work, it's
four-and-a-half years of dialogue with the public, four-and-a-half years
of compassion," Health Minister Gaetan Barrette said Thursday.
Read more:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/quebec-national-assembly-passes-right-to-die-legislation-1.1855278#ixzz340CIGFXD
legislation that will allow a person to die with dignity - and when that
person chooses.
For a province that so many rednecks and bigots want to vilify for a
myriad of reasons, Quebec is a leader in social programs, care for its
young and its aged, and now for those who are too sick or in pain to
want to continue living.
When it was discussed on CBC this morning, there were references to many
people who have said they would now consider moving to Quebec just to be
able to choose their time of dying.
And now, likely other provinces will follow suit with similar legislation.
Take that! Harper government. Once again, the leader PM is forced to
become a follower . . .
____________________________________________________
The Canadian Press - Published Thursday, June 5, 2014
Quebec national assembly passes right-to-die legislation
QUEBEC -- Quebec's landmark right-to-die bill was adopted by a sweeping
margin Thursday, making it the first legislation of its kind in Canada
and setting up a potential legal challenge from Ottawa.
Bill 52 carried the day by a 94-22 majority in what was a free vote for
members of the national assembly.
The legislation is officially dubbed "an act respecting end-of-life care."
Related Stories
MDs need to prepare for eventual legalized assisted suicide, some
doctors argue
It stipulates that patients themselves would have to repeatedly ask a
doctor to end their lives on the basis of unbearable physical or
psychological suffering. They would have to be deemed mentally sound at
the time of the requests.
The federal government has said it could challenge the legality of the
legislation.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal under Canada's Criminal Code
and Ottawa has insisted it has no intention of changing that.
Quebec politicians have argued that delivery of health-care services
falls under provincial jurisdiction and has said it is on solid legal
footing.
The bill was originally introduced by the previous Parti Quebecois
government last year but wasn't passed by the time then-premier Pauline
Marois called the April 7 election in early March.
The legislation, which had all-party support, was resurrected when the
national assembly resumed sitting following the Liberals' election victory.
"This is a law for people at the end of life and their families, but it
is also a law for all Quebecers who want to have assurances that if the
worst were to happen, they will be taken care of in the best way
possible," the PQ's Veronique Hivon, who sponsored the bill, said Thursday.
The bill had already passed numerous hurdles, including highly divisive
public hearings in 2010 and 2011.
A report from members of the legislature in 2012 suggested doctors be
allowed in exceptional circumstances to help the terminally ill die if
that is what the patients want.
A panel of experts later concluded that provinces had the legal
jurisdiction to legislate in matters of health.
The legislation has three main components -- it aims to expand
palliative care; sets protocols for doctors sedating suffering patients
until they die naturally; and offers guidelines to help patients who
want to end their pain.
It refers to medically assisted death with a doctor administering
medication to a terminally ill patient if they meet a host of
requirements, including filling out a consent form and gaining the
written approval of two doctors.
"The adoption of this bill is four-and-a-half years of work, it's
four-and-a-half years of dialogue with the public, four-and-a-half years
of compassion," Health Minister Gaetan Barrette said Thursday.
Read more:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/quebec-national-assembly-passes-right-to-die-legislation-1.1855278#ixzz340CIGFXD