NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release. May be used as a letter to the Editor
For more information contact Gay Caswell at 306- 758-2041
JUST SAY NO.. At First Reading
There is a lot of confusion, misinformation and disinformation surrounding the Supreme Court Assisted Suicide decision.
Deliberate misinformation: If we don’t have a law about euthanasia everything will be allowed and there will be no restriction whatever.
FACT: We do have a law . In the Criminal Code, it states euthanasia is homicide. Only Parliament can make laws or change them. If the House of Commons does not revoke or change this law , this is, was and will be the law of the land.
Disinformation: The Supreme Court decision is the same as the Assisted Suicide Report.
FACT: The Supreme Court did not make a decision on euthanasia which is the deliberate killing of an individual with or without his or her knowledge or permission. It did not state that minors as young as 12 years old can decide to kill themselves. It did not state that doctors must kill or must refer patients to a killer, that all hospitals and nursing homes must be used as murder depots. All of these were added by the Liberal government much against the wishes of people on the euthanasia committee
Disinformation : The Supreme Court has the power to tell the House of Commons when and
what they must pass.
FACT: There is nothing in the Constitution of Canada which is the British North America Act 1867, The Bill of Rights or the Charter of Rights that gives the Supreme Court this power. In 1982 the BNA was transferred from the House of Commons and the House of Lords in London to Canada to facilitate any changes Canada may or may not wish to make. The Charter of Rights could be interpreted by the Supreme Court. This did not mean it had the power to insist on certain laws and give dead lines as to when these must be passed,
We are allowing them to act as if they have power they don’t have.
FACT: The Notwithstanding clause does not have to be ratified by each and every province. A change in the Constitution has to pass the House of Commons, the Senate and then be ratified by every province. The Notwithstanding Clause is already in the Constitution and does not have to be put there by the consent of every province. It can be used by the House of Commons or by a province whether other provinces agree. Quebec started or does start each law with the Notwithstanding clause. A good plan, incidentally
FACT: A bill has to pass three readings: Ist. Reading is when the bill is tabled. 2nd Reading is when a bill is debated clause by clause , amendments can be made and put to a vote. 3rd reading is the final vote. IF ONE PERSON REFUSES TO ALLOW A BILL TO BE TABLED IT IS STOPPED FROM BEING CONSIDERED. It is dead and is never tabled, A recent precedent is when Elijah Harper of the Manitoba Legislature said no to having the Meech Lake Accord debated circa 1991. He was hailed as a hero. IF ONE OR MORE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT STAND UP AND SAY NO TO THE ASSISTED DYING BILL THE FIRST READING HAS NOT PASSED. It is not tabled; there is no bill and no need for a second or third reading. Gay
