Just before Parliament took their summer recess, Private Member’s Bill C-390 was introduced in the House of Commons. It came from Sylvie Bérubé, MP with the Bloc Québécois. It aims to (once again) expands assisted suicide, a.k.a. medical assistance in dying, or MAiD.
It does this by amending the Criminal Code to add exemptions in for this “practice”, if it is carried out under an applicable provincial framework. If there are no criminal consequences, then logically, the Provinces and Territories could each write their own version.
Exemption for medical assistance in dying
227 (1) No medical practitioner or nurse practitioner commits culpable homicide if they provide a person with medical assistance in dying in accordance with section 241.2 or an applicable provincial framework..
Exemption for person aiding practitioner
(2) No person is a party to culpable homicide if they do anything for the purpose of aiding a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner to provide a person with medical assistance in dying in accordance with section 241.2 or an applicable provincial framework.
Non-application of section 14
(4) Section 14 does not apply with respect to a person who consents to have death inflicted on them by means of medical assistance in dying provided in accordance with section 241.2 tor an applicable provincial framework.
Exemption for person aiding practitioner
(3) No person is a party to an offence under paragraph (1)(b) if they do anything for the purpose of aiding a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner to provide a person with medical assistance in dying in accordance with section 241.2 tor an applicable provincial framework.
Exemption for pharmacist
(4) No pharmacist who dispenses a substance to a person other than a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner commits an offence under paragraph (1)(b) if the pharmacist dispenses the substance further to a prescription that is written by such a practitioner in providing medical assistance in dying in accordance with section 241.2 tor an applicable provincial framework.
Exemption for person aiding patient
(5) No person commits an offence under paragraph (1)(b) if they do anything, at another person’s explicit request, for the purpose of aiding that other person to self-administer a substance that has been prescribed for that other person as part of the provision of medical assistance in dying in accordance with section 241.2 or an applicable provincial framework.
Failure to comply with safeguards
241.3 A medical practitioner or nurse practitioner who, in providing medical assistance in dying, knowingly fails to comply, subject to subsection 241.2(3.2), with all the requirements set out in paragraphs 241.2(3)(b) to (h) or paragraphs 241.2(3.1)(b) to (k) or all the requirements of an applicable provincial framework, as the case may be, and with subsection 241.2(8) is guilty of
Now, why would Bérubé draft such a Bill?
According to the Federal Lobbying Registry, she met with a group called Dying With Dignity shortly after the Bill was introduced.
The group is also a registered charity, meaning that taxpayers are subsidizing any donations that come in. The amount of direct subsidies seem minimal.
According to the information available with the Canada Revenue Agency, this charity takes in roughly $2 million per year. The vast majority is from private donations.
Dying With Dignity advocates for euthanasia for people with mental disorders, which is pretty messed up. It seems to tiptoe around the issue of informed consent.
They also support the rights of “mature minors” to get MAiD. Interestingly, there doesn’t appear to be any minimum age specified on the site, nor any safeguards in place.
This group also supports the concept of “removing final consent“, or making requests in advance. This seems to line up with Bill S-248, introduced by Pamela Wallin.
So, where does the line get drawn? It doesn’t seem that there is one.
(1) https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-390
(2) https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-390/first-reading
(3) https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/sylvie-berube(104622)
(4) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/cmmLgPblcVw?comlogId=610243
(5) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=366489®Id=951614#regStart
(6) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyRprtngPrd?q.srchNmFltr=dying+with+dignity&q.stts=0007&selectedCharityBn=118890086RR0001&dsrdPg=1
(7) https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/
(8) https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/advocacy/allow-maid-for-mental-disorders/
(9) https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/advocacy/mature-minors/
(10) https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/advocacy/advance-requests/
Private Member Bills In Current Session:
(1) Bill C-206: Decriminalizing Self Maiming To Avoid Military Service
(2) Bill C-207: Creating The “Right” To Affordable Housing
(3) Bill C-219: Creating Environmental Bill Of Rights
(4) Bill C-226: Creating A Strategy For Environmental Racism/Justice
(5) Bill C-229: Banning Symbols Of Hate, Without Defining Them
(6) Bill C-235: Building Of A Green Economy In The Prairies
(7) Bill C-245: Entrenching Climate Change Into Canada Infrastructure Bank
(8) Bill C-250: Imposing Prison Time For Holocaust Denial
(9) Bill C-261: Red Flag Laws For “Hate Speech”
(10.1) Bill C-293: Domestic Implementation Of Int’l Pandemic Treaty
(10.2) Bill C-293: Concerns Raised In Hearings Over Food Supplies
(11) Bill C-312: Development Of National Renewable Energy Strategy
(12) Bill C-315: Amending CPPIB Act Over “Human, Labour, Environmental Rights”
(13) Bill C-367: Removing Religious Exemptions Protecting Against Antisemitism
(14) Bill C-373: Removing Religious Exemptions Protecting Against Antisemitism 2.0
(15) Bill C-388: Fast Tracking Weapons, Energy, Gas To Ukraine
(16) Bill S-215: Protecting Financial Stability Of Post-Secondary Institutions
(17) Bill S-243: Climate Related Finance Act, Banking Acts
(18) Bill S-248: Removing Final Consent For Euthanasia
(19) Bill S-257: Protecting Political Belief Or Activity As Human Rights
(20) Bill S-275: Adding “Sustainable And Equitable Prosperity” To Bank Of Canada Act