A private Member’s Motion on the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide received the first of up to three hours of debate in the House of Commons on February 17. Motion M-397, introduced by New Democrat MP Ian Waddell, recommends that the government “consider the advisability of introducing legislation on the subject of euthanasia and in particular, of ensuring that those assisting terminally ill patients who wish to die not be subject to criminal liability.”
Waddell was supported in the debate by Bob Wenman (Fraser Valley West) whose own bill on the subject, C-203, was shelved last year by the Parliamentary committee which reviewed it.
Speaking against the motion were Don Boudria (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell), Ross Belsher (Fraser Valley East), Tom Wappel (Scarborough West) and Stan Wilbee (Delta). Boudria said, “What we are debating is whether or not we’ll give the right to any human being to kill another human being.“ Wappel said: “The termination of life is execution or killing – can’t be justified because it is performed by a physician.”
Virtually all the participants in the debate referred to the case of Sue Rodriguez, now before the B.C. Court of Appeal. Ms. Rodriguez has petitioned the court to allow a physician to assist her suicide, and hers is the type of case that Waddell’s motion seeks to address.
Under House of Commons’ rules, the motion may be scheduled for two further one-hour debates before a vote takes place. However, if Parliament is prorogued as expected in March, the motion will die on the Order Paper.
