Trail Talking

I’d like to congratulate Kelvin Goertzen, our province’s Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living, on the passing of our Manitoba government’s Medical Assistance in Dying Act. I recognize there has been a strong desire in the Dawson Trail constituency to see this legislation, Bill 34, passed and I am pleased to have supported it as it was read each time in the House.

This legislation protects the rights of health-care professionals who do not wish to participate in medically assisted deaths due to their conscience, faith or other reasons. Our government introduced Bill 34 after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2015 that doctors can assist in consensual deaths of patients and after the federal government outlined parameters for medically assisted deaths.

Bill 34 sets out how the federal law will be enacted in Manitoba, and ensures that medical practitioners in our province have the right to refuse to provide assistance in dying based on their personal convictions. Our legislation strikes the right balance between respecting the rights of individuals and facilities to not participate in medically assisted dying, while adhering to the Supreme Court’s decision.

The Medical Assistance in Dying Act is one of many bills that have been worked carefully to completion by our Progressive Conservative government, as we continue to strive to make Manitoba the most improved province in Canada.