BY SIMONE J. SMITH
“It is a suggestion that euthanasia might one day take place without the involvement of parents that has provoked fresh controversy in the assisted-death debate.” ~ Medical Assistance in Dying at a paediatric hospital (2018)
“Why is Canada euthanizing the poor?”
I read through this article that I found in The Spectator. I was unsure what to make of what I was reading, so naturally, I decided to dig a little deeper. What I found was a little shocking, and it has not really been discussed on mainstream or social media.
One of the most essential roles of leaders in the community is to ensure that children can grow up safe and healthy…yet our country is discussing allowing doctors to allow them to kill themselves intentionally.
The Canadian government is discussing whether to expand Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) laws to legalize many things, including child euthanasia!
The Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD) reconvened on April 8th, 2022, and one of the topics that the MPs and Senators on this Committee were given to discuss was MAiD for “mature minors”.
“Mature minors” of course, means children.
The idea of child-assisted suicide has been documented in other countries. In some European countries, such as the Netherlands, euthanizing children in some circumstances is already allowed. The Dutchnews.nl reported that Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced that the Dutch government will amend or re-interpret the euthanasia law to permit child euthanasia.
He told MPs in a briefing that work is progressing on plans to make it possible to help terminally sick children between one and 12 to die in limited circumstances. The current Netherlands euthanasia law permits euthanasia for children as young as 12, with parents or guardians consent. People over the age of 16 can consent to euthanasia themselves. The Groningen Protocol already permits euthanasia for newborns in the Netherlands. The proposed change will allow euthanasia for children aged 1 – 12.
What is a little alarming is that this may become legal in Canada too!
The concept of child euthanasia isn’t a new idea in Canada. In 2018, Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto was in the news because a team of doctors there laid out policies and procedures for euthanizing children in a prestigious medical journal.
When Canada’s euthanasia laws were put in place, we were told that we didn’t have to worry about a “slippery slope” in regards to protections around euthanasia. The committee, AMAD, was put in place to review Canada’s euthanasia law. The review was supposed to happen in June 2020, but it’s happening now.
Rather than actually discussing actual examples in Canada where Canadians with disabilities have asked to be euthanized or examples, where elderly sick people with no one to care for them, have turned to euthanasia, this review board is discussing whether to expand this to children!
Beginning in March 2023, Canada will expand its Medical Aid in Dying, or MAID, for people “Whose sole underlying condition is depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, PTSD or any other mental challenge.” There is no denying that mental disorders cause suffering, but do they call for government-aided suicide?
This means that a vulnerable person suffering from a mental disorder, who may not be able to make a decision on their own, could be persuaded by a doctor to end their life.
Another unfortunate state of affairs is the fact that Canada is implementing this measure after its COVID restrictions that sent the nation into a mental health tailspin.
We need to put the brakes on Canada’s euthanasia regime. The law needs to be properly reviewed. This is something else to think about when casting your vote on June 2nd, 2022.
