Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

McLEOD -- MAID rushed, lacking protections

 

As many of you know, I was supportive of the original Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) legislation in 2016 and in the years since as I felt the Federal Government was listening, taking in amendments and adapting the legislation carefully.  

 

During that first debate were some of the most thoughtful, heart-wrenching speeches I have witnessed and been part of. We came up with what we thought was a reasonable framework for the first five years and I was comforted by some careful safeguards for something so new and profound.

 

However, in 2018 a judge from the Superior Court of Quebec struck down a provision that allows assisted dying only for suffering individuals whose natural death is “reasonably foreseeable.” This sent the legislation back to the House of Commons to remove this “unconstitutional” language under a strict timeline.

 

I feel this court ruling undermined Parliament’s power to issue legislation aimed at protecting the rights and interests of the elderly, ill and disabled, and preventing suicide. It should have been appealed in the Supreme Court of Canada.  

 

Reintroduced as Bill C-7 last fall, the government moved quickly to drive their revised version of the bill through the House and on to the Senate. The Senate then passed amendments in February far beyond what elected MPs approved in December, including expanding access to those with mental illness.

 

These changes were pushed through in the House as the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois banded together to shut down debate and ram the bill ahead despite outcry from the Official Opposition and NDP. It received Royal Assent on March 17.  

 

Mental health advocates, persons with disabilities and medical professionals have made it clear they believe this expansion of Bill C-7 is dangerous and requires more scrutiny. In fact, not a single mental health advocate appeared before a House or Senate committee to speak to the dangers this could cause to those who suffer from mental illness.

 

When a life-or-death bill comes before Parliament, it is essential that legislators have time to fully review and analyze it.  Conservatives believe that MAID required a careful legal framework.

 

The government suggests it struck the right balance, but in my opinion, this piece of poorly crafted legislation that removes protections should not have become the law of our land.

 

 

WORKING TOGETHER ... donations help Barriere skatepark get wheels rolling

 


Barriere is that much closer to a dream of a concrete skatepark that would be free and available to all.

 

The Barriere Skatepark Society, which started in 2016, has been quietly fundraising for years now via word of mouth, its Facebook page, a GoFundMe page, and some help from the District of Barriere, including the location downtown in Fadear Park.

 

It has reached the point where the funding is in place to put the $174,000 project out to tender, and hopes are this will occur next month.

 

Organizer Dustin Doherty says with no pool or rec centre in town, the park will be a low-cost, welcome option for all ages.

 

They are still accepting donations through the district, to help with any unforeseen costs, and receipts will be issued (250-672-9751, email: inquiry@barriere.ca).

 

Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo Conservative Member of Parliament Cathy McLeod has served with dedication and integrity since 2008. She has served as the Shadow Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs (2016-2019, 2020-2021) and Forestry and Mining (2019-2020).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more