On the week of July 12, 2020, CBC National TV broadcast of their previously taped (March 5) Town Hall on MAID of which I was part. Minister Lametti reiterated over-and-over that he understood each plaintiff and that the espoused needs would be studied in a forthcoming consultation and review of MAID. So, I sent the following letter to Minister Lametti and relevant others. If you didn’t see the broadcast, you may access it through the reference at the bottom of the letter.
DATE: 23.07.2020 TO: THE HONOURABLE DAVID LAMETTI, MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL THE HONOURABLE PATTI HADJU, MINISTER OF HEALTH THE HONOURABLE CARLA QUALTROUGH, MINISTER OF DISABILITY INCLUSION CC: KATE YOUNG, MEMBER - LONDON WEST PETER FRAGISKATOS, MEMBER - LONDON NORTH RE: FORTHCOMING REVIEW/CONSULTATIONS RE MAiD ________________________________________________________________ Dear Hon. David Lametti It was a pleasure to meet you on the recent CBC broadcast of a Town Hall on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). I have written you on four previous occasions about the necessity of revising MAiD - particularly with respect to the needs and wishes of people living with dementia. Your proposal of C-7 is good, but in terms of the overall needs of a suffering population, it is only a part solution. Some of these needs were explained and exemplified on the Town Hall ... and in every case, you said their needs were understood and would be considered in your anticipated forthcoming consultations and review of MAiD. I presume such consultation and review will take place shortly after anticipated passage of C-7 in November. We have had MAiD in practice for almost five years, so we don’t need to be entirely dependent upon the hypothetical and conjectured problems of the Canadian Academy of Academies (CAA). We have real Canadian data and the experiences of Canadian practitioners and volunteers in providing MAiD. We also have the experiences of many deserving Canadians who are experiencing difficulties in obtaining MAiD (many like the people in the Town Hall). These practitioners and participants should form the basic and essential elements of your consultation and review. The Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers (CAMAP) is able to suggest participants and Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) can similarly suggest participants and volunteers - much like those in the Town Hall. Hopefully, as requested before, I would like to be part of this review. (Complete resume material can be provided upon request.) This could be the time to remove the failures of MAID and bring it forward to meet the promise and requirements of the Supreme Court of Canada. Respectfully submitted Dr. Ron Posno B.A., M.Ed., Ed.D. 519-473-3479 1101-940 Springbank Drive LONDON, ON N6K 0E3 ATTACHMENT: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/town-hall-assisted-dying-maid-legislation-1.5491824