This page (still under development) is dedicated to the public testimony that has NOT been heeded by the parliaments, courts, governments and committees over the years. Most recent evidence is featured up top, and older evidence is farther down. We will continue to add information at the top, middle and bottom as we’re able to document it.
****************************************************************************
2022: AMAD (Special Joint Committee)
Statutory Review – Medical Assistance in Dying
Note: This Committee’s Final Report was issued on February 15, 2023.
Below is a video made by Inclusion Canada showing the disrespect and contempt shown to members of the disability rights communities as they presented their points of view to the committee.
Nov. 25 – Meeting 29 [Protection of People with Disabilities]
Testimony of Dr. Catherine Frazee, TMU
Testimony of Isabel Grant, Professor, UBC School of Law
Testimony of Megan Linton, Researcher
Session Q & A
Part 2 of Meeting 29 [Mature Minors]
Testimony of Jennifer and Mike Schouten [Parents of Marcus]
Nov. 22 – Meeting 28 [Protection of People with Disabilities]
Part 1:
Testimony of Dr. Heidi Janz, Associate Professor
Testimony of Tim Stainton, UBC
Session Q & A
Part 2:
Testimony of Dr. Karen Ethans
Testimony of David Shannon
Session Q & A
Nov. 18 – Meeting 27 [Protection of People with Disabilities]
Part 1
Testimony of Gabrielle Peters, Disability Filibuster
Testimony of Krista Carr, Inclusion Canada
Session Q & A
Part 2
Testimony of the Duncan sisters, Daughters of Donna
Testimony of Kerri Joffe, ARCH
Session Q & A
Nov. 4, Meeting 25 [Inclusion of Mature Minors]
Part 1: Testimony of Elizabeth Sheehy, Law Professor and sister
Part 2: Testimony of Neil Belanger, Indigenous Disability Canada
Session Q & A (Part 1)
Session Q & A (Part 2)
October 28, Meeting 23 [Advance Directives]
Part 1
Testimony of Dr. Alice Chung, Geriatrician
Part 2
Testimony of Jonas-Sebastian Beaudry, McGill
Testimony of Dr. Marcia Sokolowski, Psychologist
Testimony of a MAID practitioner (Meeting 23, Part 2)
I have included the shortest possible clip. This physician is a person who is not on our side of the argument. However it is notable that in her testimony, she freely (even cheerfully) tells the committee that she has been the consulting doctor on 800 MAID cases, and has actually provided at least 400 assisted deaths to date. This is a shockingly high number that should be accurately reflected in forthcoming Annual Reports.
In the most recent annual report there is no quantification beyond “10+”.
This chart from the Annual Report requires some unpacking! The skinny bar at the top is misleading. 83.5% of doctors have performed less than 10 assisted suicides. About half of those, only 1. The 16.5% at the top represents a very big number of patients who had MAID performed by a very small number of physicians. While there may be good reasons to keep the identities of physicians confidential, there are NO good reasons for obscuring the facts in this way.
October 21, Meeting 21 [The state of palliative care in Canada]
Testimony of Derek Ross, CLF (Christian Legal Fellowship)
October 18, Meeting 20 [The state of palliative care in Canada]
Testimony of Dr. Romayne Gallagher, UBC
Testimony of Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Testimony of Dr. David Henderson, Integrated PC, NS
Testimony of Dr. Madeline Li, Psychiatrist & Ass. Professor
October 4, 2022 Meeting 18 [Mental Illness as sole underlying condition]
Testimony of Dr. Marie Nicolini, Senior Researcher
September 23, 2022 Meeting 16 [Mental Illness as Sole Underlying Condition]
Testimony of Ellen Cohen, review panel resignee
June 16, 2022. Meeting 13 [Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and Mental Illness]
Testimony of Cheryl Romaire, MAID applicant
Testimony of Trish Nichols, Family member of Alan
June 6, 2022 Meeting 11 [Inclusion of Mature Minors]
Testimony of Ahona Mehdi, DJNO
Testimony of Henry Myeengun, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper
May 30, 2022 Meeting 10
Testimony of Dr. Ramona Coelho, Physician
Testimony of Michelle Hewitt, Disability without Poverty
Testimony of Bill Adair, Spinal Cord Injury Canada
Testimony of Amelie Duranleau and Samuel Ragot, Quebec Intellectual Disability Society
Testimony of Conrad Saulis, Wabenaki Council on Disability
May 26, 2022 Meeting 9 [Inclusion of Mental Illness]
Testimony of John Maher, Ontario Association for ACT & FACT
Testimony of Georgia Vrakas, Psychologist
Testimony of Mark Sinyor, Professor
May 25, 2022 Meeting 8
Testimony of Brian Mishara, CRISE
Testimony of Sean Krausert, Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
May 16, 2022 Meeting 7
Testimony of Sara Jama, DJNO
Testimony of Brian Mishara, CRISE
May 9, 2022 Meeting 6 [Advance Requests]
Testimony of Trudo Lemmens, U of T
Testimony of Dr. Catherine Ferrier, Geriatric Medicine
Testimony of Dr. Romayne Gallagher, Palliative Care
May 5, 2022 Meeting 5 [Advance Requests]
Testimony of Michael Bach, IRIS
April 28, 2022 Meeting 4
Testimony of Dr. Ebru Kaya, Palliative Care
Testimony of Dr. Harvey Chochinov, U of Manitoba
Testimony of Dr. Marjorie Tremblay, Physician
April 25, 2022 Meeting 3
Testimony of Dr. Felix Pageau, Geriatrician
Testimony of Dr. Leonie Herx, Queen’s U, Palliative Care
Testimony of Dr. Sonu Gaind, Professor
April 13, 2022 Meeting 2
Testimony of Jay Potter, Acting Senior Counsel, Department of Justice
2020
November 27, 2020. Submission to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs by Laverne Jacobs, Law Professor; Canada’s representative to the UN – CRPD Committee (The first Canadian ever to be elected to that committee)
More to come! Please visit again …