MPs vote to send Assisted Dying bill to Commons committee

MPs in the House of Commons have voted by a margin of 235 to 75 to send the Assisted Dying bill, C-14, to committee where it will be studied and amendments are expected to be put forward.

MPs voted by a margin of 165 to 140 to limit debate on the assisted dying bill, C-14, to one additional hour.

The greater support among opposition MPs to send the bill to committee does not necessarily mean there is strong all-party support for C-14, but rather that MPs want to see it moved to the amendment stage where it can be changed.

After C-14 works its way through committee it will be returned to the House of Commons for third reading and MPs will vote on whether or not to pass the bill in the House of Commons.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said that unless there are amendments, she’ll be voting against federal legislation aimed at allowing people to seek medical help to end their lives.

Ambrose says she’s thought a lot about the bill and says she wants to see stronger safeguards for the disabled community. “We’ve heard loud and clear from the disability community that there isn’t enough safeguards around things like mental health issues, advance review from a legal point of view in terms of assessments,” Ambrose told reporters. 

“These are all technical issues, but they mean a lot to communities that are feeling vulnerable on this issue,” she added.  “So I’ve listened to them. I believe they have a strong point, so at this stage, I will be voting against.”