Bill 34: Conscience Rights (Manitoba) Tag

09 Nov 2017 Passed: Manitoba’s Bill 34 to protect conscience rights

**UPDATE: Bill 34 passed the Manitoba Legislature unanimously. Please be sure to thank your MLA. You can use our EasyMail here.** Following the federal government’s law that legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2016, Manitoba’s PC government introduced Bill 34 to protect the conscience rights of medical professionals who rightly don’t believe it is ethical to assist in killing. Already at the bill’s introduction the Manitoba NDP opposed it, saying it was unnecessary. Since then, it appears the NDP and independent MLA Steven Fletcher may be trying to directly or indirectly stall...

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07 Nov 2017 Manitoba is unified on protecting Doctor’s consciences

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew It appears there will be all-party support for a bill to protect conscience rights for doctors in Manitoba. The issue came up in the Manitoba Legislature’s Question Period last month in the context of a man whose requests for euthanasia had been delayed because he was in a Catholic hospital which doesn't offer or refer for euthanasia. NDP leader Wab Kinew raised some questions about the process in that case, but also said his party would "respect the rights of health-care professionals to treat patients in a...

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23 May 2017 Conscience Protection in Manitoba

Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen The Manitoba government has introduced legislation to strengthen the notion of conscience protection for doctors and other healthcare professionals. Bill 34 is called the “Medical Assistance in Dying (Protection for Health Professionals and Others) Act”. Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen says it would prevent sanctions against a health professional who refuses to participate in a medically assisted death and ensure that medical professionals are not disciplined for their beliefs. The bill also prohibits a professional regulatory body – such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons – from requiring...

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