By Emmy Buccat
Federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau reaffirmed his position supporting the physician assisted-suicide at a meet and greet event with the predominantly Catholic Filipino crowd held at the Holiday Inn in Burnaby recently.
“I’m liberal, which means I respect and defend people rights. I have to make sure that society is protecting its most vulnerable. Getting it right is what the Supreme Court has asked us to do.” Trudeau said.
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada has struck down the ban on physician-assisted suicide last February. It means that physician-assisted death is no longer a criminal offense.
The Supreme Court has given the federal and provincial government 12 months to draft a new legislation that will recognize the rights of a consenting adult patient who have chosen to die with the help of a doctor.
Although the Conservatives and NDP looked like they are not ready to jump in the bandwagon, Trudeau had already forwarded a motion to set up a parliamentary committee to discuss the issue.
In a statement issued by the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops however stressed that helping someone commit suicide is neither an act of justice or mercy, nor is it part of palliative care.
“The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada today does not change Catholic teaching,” Durocher said.
