Medical Conscience Rights with MP Kelly Block & Dr. Michelle Korvemaker

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In 2015, C-14 was passed and assisted suicide was legalized by the Liberal Government making it available to terminally ill adults with incurable ailments and who were expected to die in the “foreseeable future”.

A short 6 years later, on March 17th, 2021 changes were made to the law to expand eligibility to those who are not terminal, to reduce safeguards by removing the 2 doctor review requirement previously in place and to make it available to the mentally vulnerable by 2023. All this means that Canada now has the most expansive access to assisted suicide in the world.

From 2016-2019 Stats Canada recorded almost 14,000 Canadians died by medical assistance in dying.

On the Government of Canada’s website it states that no healthcare professional will be forced by the federal government to participate in medical assistance in dying - whether or directly or by referral — however it also goes on to state that this is ultimately in under the regulatory supervision of the provinces.

Since 2016, we have seen that not all provinces are equal on this issue, Manitoba, for example, has passed conscience protection legislation. In contrast, Ontario’s College of Physicians, requires doctors to participate in effective referrals — even if it is against a physician's conscience.

In describing the work of one of my guests today, MP Kelly Block, MP Garnet Genuis posted this on his website:

"Freedom of conscience is the first fundamental freedom set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is a value for which Canadians fought and died so that we could live in freedom and peace. When medical aid in dying was legalized in 2015, we were told that euthanasia would not become a matter of coercion. Yet, with Bill C-7, patients are at risk of being pressured to receive a medically assisted death and doctors are being pressured to be complicit in deaths that they would not advise. Nobody should be forced to die or to facilitate death against their wishes. This is why conscience protections are paramount. He goes onto to make this statement about MP Kelly Block’s new federal bill, C-268. This bill would ensure that the fundamental freedom of conscience is upheld by making it a criminal offence for physicians and healthcare practitioners to be coerced or intimidated to provide or refer a patient for assisted suicide or euthanasia. The bill would also make it a criminal offence to fire or refuse to hire for the same reason. This is why they matter for both patients and doctors alike."

MP Kelly Block who represents the riding of Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, Saskatchewan, is with us to discuss her private members bill as well as Dr. Michelle Korvemaker, a physician from Ontario and member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada who has been speaking out about the importance of protecting physician conscience rights for the last several years.

This is another eye-opening conversation.

Thank you for joining us. Please share.

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