Québec forces palliative care homes to provide euthanasia.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

On June 7, The Physicians’ Alliance against Euthanasia joined with the Living with Dignity citizen network to express their great disappointment that Bill 11, An Act to amend the Act respecting end-of-life care and other legislative provisions was passed in the Québec legislature.

The Physicians' Alliance and Living with Dignity reported that Bill 11 will expand euthanasia in Québec in the following ways:

• creating an obligation for palliative care homes to offer MAID (in 6 months);
• offering MAID in cases of serious physical disability* (in 9 months); 
• offering MAID by advance request* (in a maximum of 24 months).
• *together with the other criteria of the Act respecting end-of-life care.

The Canadian Press reported that Bill 11 "also allows Quebecers to receive a doctor-assisted death in places other than hospitals, such as funeral homes and long-term care facilities."

Lee Harding, writing for the Epoch Times, was published on June 13, 2023 concerning the fact that Bill 11, which recently passed in Québec, forces palliative care institutions in Québec to provide euthanasia. Harding reported:

A new Quebec law that mandates palliative care facilities to provide medical assistance in dying has drawn criticism from euthanasia opponents and a palliative care advocate.

Bill 11 to expand medical assistance in dying (MAiD) passed in Quebec’s national assembly on June 7.

Harding reported that the Living With Dignity citizens network were particularly bothered by the requirement that all palliative care institutions would provide euthanasia. Harding reports:

The organization said it was even more “deeply disturbed” by a late amendment to the bill. Sonia Belanger, minister for health and seniors, added the provision that a hospice “cannot refuse to receive a person for the sole reason that the latter has submitted a request for medical assistance in dying” and created a deadline of six months for palliative care homes to comply.

Although only four palliative care hospices are known to not wish to offer MAiD, the government approach to admission criteria was opposed by the Alliance of Palliative Care Homes of Quebec during public consultations.

Harding reported Dr. Catherine Ferrier, a board member for Living with Dignity, as stating:

“It is of course very bad news that the law passed with such a big majority of votes. Politicians in Quebec seem to think that expansion of euthanasia is inevitable and that their role is to make it safe. It’s seen as an act of compassion,” Ferrier told The Epoch Times via email.

“But it is never safe and is an act of abandonment of the patient.”

Alex Schadenberg

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told Harding:

...patients had access to MAiD before the law, and the change only forces palliative care homes to become active participants.

“It’s a serious issue for conscience rights because now every palliative care institution is going to have to offer this,” Schadenberg said in an interview.

“There were a couple of palliative care institutions that were created more recently, meaning after the legalization of euthanasia they were created specifically because they wouldn’t offer it and they were trying to provide what we would call a safe space.”

Angelina Ireland

Angelina Ireland, the President of the Delta Hospice Society told Harding:

“Palliative care is a 50-year medical discipline that is very clear about what it entails, and it never includes MAiD and never includes euthanasia, and the father of palliative care, Dr. Balfour Mount, is from McGill University. So it’s very ironic in this moment that Quebec is moving in that direction,” Ireland said.

“This political movement is forcing a coercive makeover of what palliative care is. They’ll scream up and down that it’s about human rights, but it looks more like a cull to me because we’ve opened up Pandora’s Box. And when they just promised it’s only a little bit of MAiD, it’s turned out to be something that every vulnerable Canadian has to be afraid of.”

Ireland said the precedent in B.C. suggests that those morally opposed to the imposition of euthanasia will exit the profession, but the palliative care facilities will remain.

In February, the Québec Euthanasia Commission announced that euthanasia represented 7% of all 2022 deaths in Québec which represents the highest rate of euthanasia in the world.