Canadian government will not seek advice from federal panel on assisted dying.

Media Release

The Canadian Press reported on November 14 that the new federal Liberal government will not be seeking advice from the federal panel on assisted dying that was appointed by the previous Conservative government. According to the Canadian Press:

A federal panel created in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on assisted death will no longer be asked to make recommendations to the government and will now simply report on its consultations on the issue. 

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Health Minister Jane Philpott say in a statement that along with the modified mandate, the date for the panel to make its report has been extended by a month to Dec. 15.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) is concerned that the Federal government is planning to follow the recommendations of the one-sided panel that was appointed by the Ontario Provincial government that features Jocelyn Downie, Canada's leading pro-euthanasia academic and Maureen Taylor who describes herself as an advocate of assisted death.

Considering the investment in time and research by the panel and the many groups who presented to the panel on assisted dying and the potential for positive insight from the panel members based on their professional and personal experience EPC finds this decision to be short-sighted and motivated by partisan politics.

The panel was appointed by the previous federal Health and Justice Ministers is composed of Dr Harvey Max Chochinov, the Canada research chair in palliative care at the University of Manitoba who is the chair of the panel, Catherine Frazee, a former co-director of the Ryerson-RBC Institute for Disability Studies Research and Education and a former chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and Benoît Pelletier, a University of Ottawa law professor and former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister.

The new Liberal government is not forced to accept the recommendations of this panel but it is wrong for them not to consider the recommendations of this excellent panel.

• Canadian government appoints panel to examine euthanasia and assisted suicide.
• Provincial government appoints pro-euthanasia panel to devise euthanasia laws.
• Criticisms of panel studying assisted suicide unfounded.

For more information contact Alex Schadenberg at: 519-851-1434 or info@epcc.ca