Petition to: Hon. Christine Elliott
Please Protect the Conscience Rights of Ontario Health Professionals
Please Protect the Conscience Rights of Ontario Health Professionals
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), also known as euthanasia, was legalized in June, 2016 by Canada’s federal government (Bill C-14). Since then, Health Professionals in Ontario have been required to participate in euthanasia by providing an “effective referral” i.e. a referral for the purpose of the act.
Bill C-14 did not require Health Professionals to participate in MAiD. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms states in Section 2 that:
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion…
Health Professionals who conscientiously object to MAiD (causing the death of their patients) in Ontario are being pressured and often forced to participate in an act they consider to be fundamentally wrong.
In November, 2017 the Manitoba Legislature unanimously passed Bill 34: The Medical Assistance in Dying (Protection for Health Professionals and Others) Act.
Sign this petition asking Hon. Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, to bring forth legislation identical to Manitoba’s Bill 34 to protect the conscience rights of Health Professionals in Ontario.
If the Ontario government does not protect the conscience rights of Health Professionals, they will be denying a Charter Right to a group of people who are vitally needed for the medical care of its citizens and Ontario will risk losing many of these Professionals who will leave to practice medicine in jurisdictions that do respect their fundamental human rights.