(OTTAWA) Almost all members of the Conservative caucus in the House of Commons have voted in favor of a private member’s bill that they say would protect the conscience rights of health professionals when it comes to requests for medical assistance in dying.
Posted at 10:09 pm yesterday.
Despite the support of a large number of Conservative MPs, including new leader Pierre Poilivre, the bill was defeated by 203 votes to 115 on Wednesday.
The bill was introduced by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Kelly Black of the party’s social conservative wing.
However, the ruling Liberals, along with Black and New Democrat MPs, opposed the bill, which sought to amend the criminal code to protect health care professionals from “directly or indirectly” participating in medical care. The manner of dying.
Conservative MPs Melissa Lantman, Eric Duncan, Dave Epp and Richard Martell abstained, according to votes recorded on the House of Commons web portal.
Kevin Wong, an independent MP for Spadina-Fort York in Toronto, spoke in favor of the bill. He appears to be the only non-Conservative elected official to do so.
Bill of Mme Black also makes it illegal to threaten or fire a healthcare worker who refuses to provide medical assistance in dying, or to refer a patient who wants it.
The Liberal government has long maintained that nothing in the law compels a medical professional to “provide or assist in the provision” of medical aid in dying contrary to their personal beliefs.
The Ontario Court of Appeal also concluded that allowing doctors to refuse to refer patients seeking access to medical assistance in dying would further stigmatize already vulnerable patients.
Despite all this, many Conservatives are attacking the Liberal government’s handling of the issue and believe there are insufficient safeguards for healthcare workers.
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