Canadian Government reports on euthanasia and assisted suicide

TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2015 /CNW/ - The Provincial-Territorial Advisory Group on Physician-Assisted Dying released its report yesterday. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) was not surprised by the one-sided pro-euthanasia approach by the "Advisory Group" knowing that many of its members were known euthanasia advocates.

EPC was particularly concerned about the Advisory Group's inability to differentiate between the acts of euthanasia and assisted suicide and their recommendations that euthanasia be extended to children, that there should be no waiting period, that there be no effective oversight at the death, and that the reporting procedure is done after-the-death by the physician who caused the death of the patient.

Clearly, children with disabilities would be at risk, providing a waiting period offers people a chance to change their mind, effective oversight at the death should be seen as a minimum requirement and a system where physicians self-report the act after the patient dies provides protection for the doctors and is not a safeguard for the person who dies.

EPC is also disappointed that conscience rights for physicians who oppose killing patients are not upheld.

EPC hopes that the Federal External Panel on options for a legislative response to Carter v. Canada, that is releasing its report today, will take a more reasonable approach by offering Canadians options that provide effective oversight, not just protections for the doctors who participate in the acts.

SOURCE Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Ontario

Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director (London) 519-851-1434 or [email protected]; Amy Hasbrouck, EPC VP (Montreal) 450-921-3057 or [email protected]; Dr Will Johnston, Chair, EPC - BC (Vancouver) 640-220-2042 or [email protected]; Hugh Scher, Legal Counsel (Toronto) 416-816-6115 or [email protected]