A few days ago I offered some thoughts on end of life issues and, specifically, medical assistance in dying in Canada. Then on Sunday I saw that the federal government and the Department of Justice is offering a two-week window for Canadians to comment on the existing legislation and possible changes by filling out an online questionnaire. I feel that this is not adequate both because there is no guidance for those who have questions and the time-frame is woefully brief. And how many Canadians know they have this opportunity.
It would be helpful if faith communities could provide forums for explanation and conversation but it's unlikely that many will have the time, nor be able to arrange for someone to facilitate the discussion.
When the report was presented to parliament regarding MAID in February 2016 I was very interested, in part because one of the co-chairs was Member of Parliament and United Church minister, Rob Oliphant. I've know Rob for nearly 40 years now, so I invited him to speak to a gathering at Bridge St.UC in Belleville. It was a hot Friday evening at the end of June, and at an odd hour because of his schedule. Yet approximately 125 people showed up, most of them elderly, so with a keen personal interest. We wondered if there would be protesters because this is a contentious issue for some Christians and other faith groups, but the support was overwhelming. The only real issue seemed to be that the legislation was too restrictive, not allowing individuals to create legal directives if they should become mentally incapacitated due to illness such as dementia.
This is one of the areas addressed by the questionnaire, but again, where is the guidance for those responding? I do support MAID in certain circumstances, unlike some people of faith who feel that this is a form of murder for those who facilitate it. At the same time I still have strong concerns about protecting those who might be vulnerable, having seen through the years that family members can be unscrupulous. I also have reservations about providing MAID for those with mental illness. Our society still does a lousy job of providing support for those with mental illness and we can't rush to create legislation to help people die when we do an inadequate job of helping them live.
I've offered to facilitate a conversation at Trenton United, the congregation we attend, so we'll see if that can be pulled together on such short notice. Here are the links to the current questionnaire and the recommendations from the report of four years ago.
Comments?
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/ad-am/index.html
https://www.parl.ca/Content/Committee/421/PDAM/Reports/RP8120006/pdamrp01/pdamrp01-e.pdf
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