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Canadian Parliament debates Euthanasia Bill Today

Ottawa, October 31, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) -  Bill C-407, the private-members bill proposing to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide is scheduled for its first hour of debate in Parliament on Monday, October 31, 2005.

EPC was established in 1999 to prepare a well-informed, broadly based, network of groups and individuals who support measures that will create an effective social barrier to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

According to Alex Schadenberg, Executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), "Bill C-407 is a direct threat to the lives of the people with disabilities, people with chronic physical and mental pain and other vulnerable Canadians. If Parliament supports this Bill in any form it is placing the lives of vulnerable Canadians at material risk."

Schadenberg points out that Bill C-407:

• Legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide for people suffering chronic physical and mental pain. Chronic physical and mental pain can be treated.

• Does not require that a person at least try effective treatments for their chronic physical or mental pain. It states that a person qualifies for euthanasia even if they have refused to try effect treatments

• legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide for people who "appear to be lucid" and doesn’t define what appear to be lucid means.

• allows anyone to euthanize or assist the suicide of a person, so long as they are "assisted by a medical practitioner"

Schadenberg adds, "This bill is a serious attack on vulnerable Canadians, including people with disabilities, the chronic sufferers of physical or mental pain, the frail elderly and the poor. These people need to be protected. Bill C-407 is a terrible piece of legislation that must be rejected by all members of parliament."

See Stop Bill C-407 website
http://www.stopbillc-407.com/

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