Euthanasia

As of June 17, Bill C-14 became law after bouncing back and forth between the Senate and House of Commons. This formally legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. Although this is a tragic choice, our leaders did so in full knowledge of the consequences and a much better alternative.

ARPA’s Legal and Policy Resources on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia:

05 Jul 2021 Respectfully Submitted Palliative Care Policy Report: Executive Summary

Executive Summary Palliative care is holistic, person-centered care for people facing life-limiting illnesses or disabilities. Palliative care neither hastens death nor unnaturally prolongs life. Instead, it focuses on giving patients their best possible quality of life despite illness or disability. The Canadian Institute for Health Information estimates that up to 89% of Canadians could have benefitted from palliative care prior to death – almost everyone whose death was not sudden or unexpected. Despite this great need for palliative care, only 30% of Canadians who need it have access to palliative care, and...

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16 Jun 2021 New Respectfully Submitted Palliative Care Policy Report

ARPA Canada's newest Respectfully Submitted Palliative Care Report has just been released! You can read the text of the report below or view, download, and/or print a pdf of the policy report here.   When a medical team seems to have exhausted all treatment options and a terminal diagnosis is given, a physician will too often tell a patient, “I’m sorry, there is nothing more we can do for you.” The doctor then refers the patient to hospice or palliative care, which the patient enters with the mindset that nothing can or...

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20 Apr 2021 Bill C-268: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act

Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016, there has been little effort to protect the consciences of those who refuse to participate in providing MAiD. The recent euthanasia legislation has increased access to MAiD, and doctors will increasingly run into conscientious problems with patient requests for MAiD. Currently, the province of Manitoba is the only province that specifically protects the conscience rights of physicians. Under Manitoba’s legislation, medical professionals can refuse to participate in MAiD if it violates their personal convictions. They cannot be required to provide...

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22 Mar 2021 Conservative Convention Debrief

Last week, the Conservative Party of Canada held its bi-annual policy convention. Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, this convention was held virtually, enabling a record number of delegates to attend this year. Conventions are opportunities for members of political parties to come together, build the party, and prepare for the next election. At this virtual convention, delegates participated in campaign training, watched Conservative leader Erin O’Toole outline the party’s post-COVID-19 recovery plan, voted for national councillors (who help run and direct the party), voted on changes to the party constitution, and,...

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20 Mar 2021 College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Consultation

The CPSO is the regulatory body for all medical professionals in Ontario. Physicians are required to register with the CPSO, who will then monitor quality of care and investigate and discipline any doctors who do not follow professional conduct as described in the various policies. Regarding Medical Assistance in Dying, the CPSO has no authority over the existing legislation or changes to it – this would fall to Federal and Provincial legislatures, or to the courts. However, the CPSO does have jurisdiction over the policies given to doctors regarding how...

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11 Mar 2021 Press Release: MPs set to vote on a “life and death” bill

For immediate release from the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada March 11, 2021 OTTAWA, ON – The Liberals, with the help of the Bloc Québecois, have just voted to end debate on Bill C-7. This means that later this evening, Members of Parliament will be voting on Senate amendments to Bill C-7 which expands Medical Assistance in Dying. The New Democrats and the Conservatives have indicated they will be opposing the Senate amendments that were added to the bill within the past number of weeks.   “The Senate has radically expanded this already...

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02 Feb 2021 Press Release: ARPA Canada Supports UN’s Stance that Disability Status is Not a Reason for MAiD

For immediate release from the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada February 2, 2021 OTTAWA, ON – Experts from the United Nations have released a press statement declaring, “Disability is not a reason to sanction medically assisted dying… Disability should never be a ground or justification to end someone’s life directly or indirectly.” These experts express “alarm at a growing trend to enact legislation enabling access to medically assisted dying based largely on having a disability or disabling conditions, including in old age… [and] concern at the lack of involvement of people...

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01 Feb 2021 United Nations say disability should not be a reason for MAiD

On January 25th, experts from the United Nations released a press statement declaring, "Disability is not a reason to sanction medically assisted dying." “UN human rights experts today expressed alarm at a growing trend to enact legislation enabling access to medically assisted dying based largely on having a disability or disabling conditions, including in old age… Disability should never be a ground or justification to end someone’s life directly or indirectly… The experts also expressed concern at the lack of involvement of people with disabilities, as well their representative organizations, in...

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18 Jan 2021 Kill the Bill

It is our hope and prayer that you will join us in calling on the Senate to Kill the Bill. ARPA supporters will be very familiar with Bill C-7 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code – medical assistance in dying). The bill was introduced by the Minister of Justice on September 23, 2020, in response to the Superior Court of Quebec decision in Truchon v. Attorney General of Canada. ARPA Canada has engaged extensively with Bill C-7 at every step of the way. We outlined our concerns with Bill C-7 through...

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15 May 2020 Federal Euthanasia Survey Results: Support for Stronger Safeguards

Earlier this year, we encouraged you to fill out the federal government’s survey about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). The results are in and give reason for both concern and encouragement. Those of you who completed the survey will remember that the first question asked, “Do you think the current safeguards would prevent abuse, pressure, or other kinds of misuse of MAID after eligibility is broadened to people whose death is not reasonably foreseeable?” This basically asks whether we can expand eligibility for MAID to more people without tightening up the...

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