Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition in support of Bill C-260, the care not coercion act, on which I understand people can find more information by visiting www.carenotcoercion.ca. This is an excellent private member's bill tabled by a member of Parliament I know well.
Petitioners note that many reports, including media stories and evidence received by parliamentary committees, indicate a serious problem of veterans, people with disabilities, seniors and those living in poverty being offered euthanasia, or facilitated death, by bureaucrats while trying to access completely unrelated public services. People are seeking access to services from the government or other agencies and are having those people in positions of authority or trust tell them, “Well, instead of accessing these services, how about you die instead?” This is ghoulish and horrifying, but it is very real in this country. The CEO of Inclusion Canada, Krista Carr, has testified before the finance committee that she hears weekly complaints from people with disabilities who have had facilitated death proposed to them when they were trying to access other services.
There is a wide gap between what members of Parliament, in many cases, perceive on these issues and the lived experience of people with disabilities. Petitioners would encourage members of Parliament to listen to those concerns. Petitioners note that Bill C-260, the care not coercion act preventing coercion of persons not seeking medical assistance in dying, would prevent instances of coercion in which a bureaucrat offers medically facilitated death to those who are not asking for it.
Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Bill C-260, the care not coercion act; to find more information at carenotcoercion.ca; and to support additional action to combat the growing problem of MAID coercion.