Amendments to assisted dying bill defeated, C-14 passes report stage
Bill C-14 will return to the House tomorrow for 3rd reading where it will face vote to send it to Senate
All nine opposition amendments to the federal government's assisted dying bill failed to pass in the House of Commons Monday night.
After the amendments were shot down, MPsvoted 192-129 to send the bill tothird reading, where the MPs will vote on whetherto send C-14 to the Senate.
All butfour LiberalMPs voted with their party. Those that did not were AlexandraMendes,Nathaniel Erskine-Smith,Robert-Falcon Ouellette and, notably,Rob Oliphant, the government appointed co-chair of the special committee studying medically assisted death.
There were 19 Conservatives who voted with the Liberals to send the bill to third reading.All NDP MPsvoted against the moveas did Bloc MPs and Green Party LeaderElizabeth May.
The Trudeau government says it is still holding out hope both houses of Parliament will approve the government's proposed billon doctor-assisted suicide in time to have new legislation passed before the Supreme Court's deadline of June 6, but stiff oppositionfrom some MPs and senatorsis making thatnext to impossible.
Earlier in the evening MPs voted 177-140 to send Bill C-7 to the Senate. The bill, which has also failed to meeta Supreme Court deadline, will, if passed, allow the RCMP to collectivelybargaina power it currently does not have.
- MPs open up about personal struggles with assisted dying bill
- Liberals pass on debating motion to amend medically assisted dying bill
- Read the text of BillC-14on medicallyassisted dying
Justice MinisterJody-Wilson-Raybouldacknowledged during question period in the Commons on Mondaythe "incredible diversity of opinion" around what has been an emotional and complex debateon assisted dying, but she said the government was still committed to having "alegal framework" in place by this time next week.
Health Minister Jane Philpottsaid the governmentwas at risk of missing the deadline and that new legislation wasneeded "as soon as possible."
"Without legislation in place, health-care providers will not have the legal framework that they require to proceed," Philpott told MPs Monday.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association sent out a release backing the government in its wish tosee legislation in place by June 6.
"Bill C-14 strikes the appropriate balance between ensuring Canadians' right to access to assisted dying while providing the necessary protections for health-care professionals who choose to participate in assisted dying," the association said in a statement moments before question period got underway.
'Deeply flawed' bill, critics say
New DemocratsMurrayRankinandBrigitteSansoucyaddedtheir voicestoday to the growing number of MPs and critics expressing concerns withthe government's proposed legislationon doctor-assisted suicide.
"As a lawyer, I cannot accept passing a bill that I know to be unconstitutional,"Rankinsaid on Monday during a news conference on Parliament Hill.
RankinandSansoucy, the NDP justice and health critics respectively, saidtheLiberal government's proposed legislationdoes not meetthe minimum requirements laid out by the Supreme Court of Canadaa view also expressedby thefamily of the late Kay Carter, thewoman at the centre of the top court's rulingover doctor-assisted suicide.
The NDP critics said theLiberals should stop hiding behind the June 6 deadline, urging themnot to rush the "deeply flawed' bill through Parliament.
"Today, we are here to call on the Liberal government to listen to the vast number of commentators and experts out there ... let's fix it, let's do it right," Rankin said on Monday.
Rankinnoted that even formerprime ministerPaul Martin told Liberalsgathered during the party's convention in Winnipeg last week thatParliament should not be bound by the arbitrary deadline set by the Supreme Court.
"Do it right, rather than doing it right now," Rankin said.
If the government's proposed bill on doctor-assisted death were to pass the House without any amendments, Rankin said, the Liberals should refer it back to the Supreme Court.
'Impossible' for the Senate
Conservative Senator ClaudeCarignansaidon Mondaythe Red Chamber would take its time studying the bill whenever it is approved by the Commons, but closed the door to passing it this week.
"We will take time to study this bill properly. We will try to reduce the delay,to do our job with diligencebut this week, it's impossible."
Any amendments made by the Senate would force the bill back to the Commons for another vote, further delaying its passage.
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