Quebec bill to expand medical assistance in dying will not be passed

With one day left in the parliamentary session, the Quebec government is not moving forward with its bill to expand access to medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Bill 38 sought to expand the eligibility of MAID for people suffering from a serious and incurable neuromotor disability.

Opposition parties had accused Health Minister Christian Dubé of dragging his feet by tabling the bill so late in the parliamentary session without adequate time for proper debate on all the complexities of the proposed legislation. The minister tabled An Act to amend the Act respecting end-of-life care and other legislative provisions two weeks ago, on May 25.

The current session in the Quebec legislature ends Friday.

In the study of the bill during committee, MNAs heard that some wanted the current law to be changed to allow for prior, informed consent to be given to receive MAID for people with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. 

Dubé held a press conference at the National Assembly Thursday flanked by members of the opposition parties, who all agreed not adopting the bill in its current form was the best decision.

"This is so critical when you deal with life and death," he said.

"We made a good call today. This is the important call for Quebecers and we will be back with the [bill]."

The decision on Thursday was a loss for the Parti Québecois (PQ) critic for end-of-life care, Véronique Hivon, who has spearheaded the MAID law for years and has decided not to run in the upcoming provincial election. She and Dubé were both emotional during the press conference announcing the fate of Bill 38.

She was asked what message she has for people suffering from Alheimer's who wanted to see the bill passed, including Sandra de Montigny, a Lévis, Que. woman who attended a PQ press conference in early May calling for the government to act faster.

"I would tell her that I understand that she must be really disappointed, but that I hope that she feels that we are still right beside her like we were a few weeks back hoping to deliver what we wanted for her, but [also] for all the Sandra de Montignys and all the elderly people who suffer from Alzheimer's and would want that choice," Hivon said.

"I hope that she can find some comfort and hope in seeing all of us together, taking really a promise that we will be back with this bill because it will only be better and it will only be able to be implemented faster."

Dubé said the amendment to the MAID law will be a priority for him in the fall and that the CAQ intends to table the bill again if it wins the election in October.

A recent Léger poll found that the François Legault government would win the election with 44 per cent support.