Letter to AB Justice Minister on Bill 18 passing

The Honourable Mickey Amery
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Government of Alberta

Dear Minister Amery,

We would like to commend you and the Alberta Legislature for passing new legislative limits, safeguards and oversight on medical assistance in dying (MAiD).

Alberta’s new legislation, Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, will help to promote life-affirming care and put in place safeguards to protect Albertans in vulnerable circumstances. 

We strongly support the legislation’s safeguards to limit access to those whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable within 12 months, to ensure discussions of MAiD are patient-initiated, to prohibit MAiD where the sole underlying medical condition is mental illness, and to prohibit MAiD for minors and for those who don’t have decision-making capacity. We appreciate and support the provisions to uphold conscience protection for health care professionals and institutions. 

This legislation complies with the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to repeal Track 2 MAiD, including the expansion to persons whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness. It is also consistent with the UN CRPD recommendation against MAiD for mature minors and by advance request.

We firmly believe that in order to protect persons from feeling pressured to request hastened death in moments of vulnerability and to avoid undue influence by medical professionals, it is essential that conversations about medical assistance in dying be patient-initiated. 

Many faith-based institutions provide senior care, extended care and hospice care. The care they offer is an expression of the deeply held beliefs of the communities that provide the care. We are thankful these institutions will not be compelled to facilitate or allow assisted death on their premises. 

It is essential to maintain MAiD-free spaces where patients are not offered MAiD and do not feel pressured to seek it, and where medical professionals who object to MAiD are not required to participate in it. These spaces are a protection for both patients and staff. 

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is a national association of evangelical Christians, with affiliated churches, organizations and higher education institutions in Alberta. 

The EFC affirms the value and dignity of every human life. We are opposed to euthanasia, or MAiD, as a practice that fundamentally devalues human life, endangers the lives of Canadians in vulnerable moments and normalizes suicide. We believe God calls us to seek the good of our communities and our country.

We are encouraged and deeply thankful this legislation has passed. Thank you for undertaking this important initiative.  

Sincerely,