moved for leave to introduce Bill C-422, an act to amend the Criminal Code to prohibit coercion in medical procedures that offend a person's religion or belief that human life is inviolable.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to introduce today this bill to amend the criminal code to prohibit coercion in medical procedures. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that health care providers working in medical facilities of various kinds will never be forced to participate against their wills in abortion procedures or acts of euthanasia. The bill itself does not prohibit abortion or euthanasia but makes it illegal to force another person to participate in such a procedure or an act of euthanasia.
Incredibly, there are medical personnel in Canada who have been fired because the law is not explicit enough in spelling out those conscience rights. The bill will make those rights explicit.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)