1995 to 2010: Canadian Parliamentary activity

1998: The House of Commons rejected by a vote of 169 to 66 a motion  by Svend Robinson (NDP - Burnaby-Douglas) on MAR-25. The motion would have stuck a committee of Members of Parliament to study doctor-assisted suicide. Justice Minister Anne McLellan has said that there is no need for such a study; the Senate conducted a study only three years previously. Robinson intended to introduce a similar private member's bill early in 2001.It will call on the House of Commons to:

"... look at the recent developments in the Netherlands and also to look in depth at the whole issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and make recommendations to Canadian law....In my view, the existing provisions of the criminal law are profoundly unjust and, in some cases, cruel." ₂
 

	They are 18 years or older.
	They are experiencing severe physical or mental pain or are suffering from a terminal illness.
	They have made two free and informed requests "while appearing to be lucid" more than ten days apart clearly expressing their wish to die. These wishes could be expressed either to a medical practitioner or to "the person who aids the person to die."

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said:

Dr. Yves Lamontagne, president of the Quebec College of Physicians, favors legislation that allows an individual to request aid in dying. He said:

"That the person has a choice, I respect that. But what we do not want is the physician becoming the executor of someone else’s choice."

Legislators in Quebec do not have the authority to pass laws about PAS, even if the legislation were only to apply within the province. Such legislation is a federal responsibility and wold apply to the entire country. ₅

2010-MAR: Member of Parliament (MP) Ms.LaLonde introduced still another bill to amend the Criminal Code and grant people the right to die with dignity. She said:

"Helping someone to die gently and without pain; can we call this murder? Many would say 'no.' And that's what I say. ... People are going through a painful terminal phase. We should not refuse them the right to die with dignity. ... Is the capacity to live longer what we want? Sometimes people who have an incurable disease like cancer have imposed on them a very unfortunate quality of life. ... I believe medicine will have to inevitably work towards a template for end-of-life care and for euthanasia."

The bill has little chance of proceeding.

Conservative MP James Lunney said:

"Contrary to her intentions, this bill will allow doctors to provide a patient with a lethal injection, making many Canadians vulnerable to premature death."

He may hot have noticed that the bill would require that the patient, not the doctor, would have to take the initiative in arranging their own death.

Conservative MP David Sweet warned of "unimaginative consequences." It is unclear what consequences would emerge that have not already appeared in the three U.S. states where PAS is legal.₆

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