Québec euthanasia Bill 52 may be dead.

Québec National Assembly

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

It is possible that Québec's euthanasia Bill 52 will not go to a vote before the Parti québécois (PQ) government calls an election. If an election is called, Bill 52 will be dead.

On Thursday, February 20, the Québec National Assembly left for a break until March 11, without completing the debate or voting on euthanasia Bill 52.

Currently, the PQ government has minority standing with 54 of 125 seats in the Québec National Assembly. Recent polls indicate that the PQ government, under premier Pauline Marois, would do well if an election is called. Many reports indicate that Marois will call an election before the government returns from its current break.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and its Québec counterparts would like you to know that: 

• Bill 52 gives Québec doctors the right to lethally inject their patients when they are physically or psychological suffering. 

• Bill 52 does not limit euthanasia to terminally ill people. The bill states that a person must be “at the end of life” but the bill does not define end of life. Bill 52 allows euthanasia for psychological suffering, which cannot be defined. 

• Bill 52 targets people with disabilities. Bill 52 states that a person must be in “an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability.” Many people with disabilities fit these criteria. Since the bill does not define "end of life" euthanasia will be extended to people with disabilities.  

• Euthanasia is defined as homicide in the federal Criminal Code. Bill 52 defines killing by lethal injection as "health care" in order to avoid the Criminal Code prohibition from causing death. 

Bill 52 is unconstitutional and if passed, would be challenged in the court.
Bill 52 is imprecise and open to abuse.
Bill 52 is lethal. 

Link to other articles: 
• Québec’s euthanasia Bill 52 is lethal.
• Expert’s condemn Québec’s Bill 52. 
• Quebec doctors are planning to expand euthanasia even before its legal.