Federal government's assisted-dying bill set for introduction Thursday

The Canadiangovernment's assisted dying legislation is expected to be introduced Thursday.

The justice minister'snotice forthe upcoming bill,however, comes with just fivesitting weeks leftuntil the Supreme Court of Canada deadline in June.

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Thecourt ruled in February 2015that in some circumstances, individualshad the right to ask a doctor to help them die.

It gave the previous Conservative government under Stephen Harper one year to come up with a new law.

But by the time the Torieslost the October election, not much had been done tomove the file forward.

In January, the new Liberal government asked the Supreme Courtfor, and was granted, an extension. The courtgave the governmentuntil June 6to pass legislation.

Asked by reporters about the legislation after a cabinet meeting this week, Justice MinisterJodyWilson-Raybouldsaid:"We're going to be bringing forward our government response in the very near future.

"We have had substantive conversations with Canadians [and]recognize the work of the special joint committee on medical assistance in dying and all of the expert panels that have convened. And we will bring forward our government response that seeks to provide that balance between personal autonomy recognizing the conscience rights of medical practitioners and ensure that we do as much as we can to protect the vulnerable," she added.

A joint committee ofthe House of Commonsand the Senate tabled a report with recommendations in February.

It made a number of controversial suggestions, including allowing those with mental illnesses to opt for a physician assisted death. The committee suggesteda three-year discussion around whether mature minors should be allowed to ask for help in dying, too.

Right to opt out

The report recommended that doctors not be compelled, against their beliefs, to end the lives ofpatients on the condition that doctors deciding to opt out of the proceduremust then refer patients to someone willing to provide it.

Health Minister Jane Philpott says her government has heard clearly what doctors want to see in the legislation.

"I can tell you that I've heard from all kinds of colleagues, physician colleagues as well as others who are very concerned about the matter of conscience rights of health providers," Philpotttold a parliamentary committee this week."Whether it was the special joint committee, the external panel, [the] provincial and territorial report that came out none of those reports had any argument with the fact that we should uphold the conscience rights of health care providers."

She also told fellow MPs that as a family doctor she believes "that patients need to have access to a range of options at the end of life and I would support that they need to access to that range of options."

Philpott also said the Supreme Court has made it clear some patients have the right to ask for a doctor's help to die.

If the federal government's proposed legislation is not law by June 6, there will be no law on the books.

The only exception is in Quebec, where that province has had it own legislation in place since last December.

Philpott was asked alsoabout her party's election promise to spend $3 billion on home care, as well as expanding palliative care services across the country.

She told MPs the money will flow once there is an agreement with the provinces, and some of those funds could go towards home palliative care.