Confusing Québec bill defines euthanasia as end of life care

Petition: Stop Euthanasia Bill 52 in Quebec.

The following article was published by OneNewsNow on June 3, 2014.

Proponents of a euthanasia bill in Quebec, Canada, are not listening to the people according to an expert on the subject. While the bill is being defined in a confusing way, the vote could happen soon.

The bill is the same as the one that was dropped before the most recent election in Quebec, and it has the same supporters this time around. Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition tells OneNewsNow that Bill 52 would redefine euthanasia as a form of medical treatment.

“It would make euthanasia a form of health care, meaning that it's paid for under the health care system in Quebec, rather than how it's always previously been seen as a form of homicide,” he explains. “And, therefore, this is a very unconstitutional bill for Canada.”

Alex Schadenberg

The people are saying regardless of their opinion on the issue, euthanasia is not health care, but there is confusion.

“They've also called it end of life care,” Schadenberg adds. “So what we would normally think of as palliative care or care of the dying, they've redefined for euthanasia to be a part of. And now there's a lot of people who actually come out and say, ‘Oh, well, I'm all in favor of end of life care.’ But what they don't realize is that in fact the government in Quebec is calling euthanasia by that name.”

Schadenberg believes a vote will come quickly before a planned break in the Quebec Parliament on June 13.