(Ottawa) Almost all members of the Conservative caucus in the House of Commons voted in favor of a private member’s bill which they say would protect the conscience rights of health professionals in the event of requests for medical assistance in dying.
Posted at 10:09 p.m.
Said bill was defeated on Wednesday by a vote of 203 to 115, despite the support of the vast majority of Conservative MPs, including new leader Pierre Poilievre.
This bill was tabled by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Kelly Block, who belongs to the social conservative wing of the party.
However, the Liberals in power, along with Bloc and New Democrat MPs, stood in the way of opposing the bill, which sought to amend the Criminal Code to protect health care professionals from having to participate “directly or indirectly” to a medical assistance in dying procedure.
According to votes recorded on the House of Commons web portal, Conservative MPs Melissa Lantsman, Eric Duncan, Dave Epp and Richard Martel abstained from voting.
Kevin Vuong, Independent MP for Spadina-Fort York in Toronto, spoke in favor of the bill. He appears to be the only non-Conservative elected official to have done so.
The bill of Mme Block would also have made it illegal to intimidate or fire a healthcare worker who refuses to provide medical assistance in dying or to refer a patient who wants it.
The Liberal government has long maintained that nothing in law compels a medical professional to “provide or assist in providing” medical assistance in dying if it conflicts with their personal beliefs.
The Ontario Court of Appeal also determined that allowing physicians to refuse to refer patients seeking access to medical assistance in dying would further stigmatize already vulnerable patients.
Despite all this, many Conservatives are attacking the Liberal government’s management of this issue and believe that there are not enough protection measures for health care workers.