Canada's Trudeau defends assisted suicide bill as deadline nears

By Rod Nickel
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 28 (Reuters) - A bill legalizing
medically-assisted suicide in Canada strikes the right balance
between defending fundamental freedoms and protecting against
abuses, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday,
predicting confusion if it is not approved.
The draft legislation, introduced by Trudeau's Liberal
government in April, would allow people with incurable illnesses
or disabilities to end their lives with a medical professional's
help, but stopped short of extending the right to minors and the
mentally ill.
"There are people who think we should have gone further with
this bill, there are people who think we already went too far,"
Trudeau told reporters at a Liberal convention in Winnipeg.
"Making this first step a responsible, prudent one that gets
the balance right between protecting vulnerable Canadians and
defending rights and freedoms is what we have focused on and I'm
confident that we got that balance right."
The Supreme Court of Canada overturned a ban on
medical-assisted suicide last year and gave the new government
until June 6 to come up with a law, adding Canada to the handful
of Western countries that allow the practice.
Trudeau said he expected Parliament to meet that deadline.
He added, however, that failing to do so could lead to uneven
access to assisted dying across Canada. If new legislation is
not in place by June 6, last year's Supreme Court ruling comes
into effect, allowing assisted dying for those with a "grievous
and irremediable" medical condition.
Some Canadians who should have access to medically-assisted
death may not get it if doctors conclude there isn't legal
protection for them, while others may gain access to it when
they should not, he said.
Trudeau's Liberals hold a majority of seats in Canada's
House of Commons, but not in the Senate. Bills must pass both
chambers on their way to becoming law.