Freedom of conscience is the first fundamental freedom set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

It is a value for which Canadians fought and died so that we could live in freedom and peace. 

Freedom of conscience means that every Canadian is free to do what he or she believes is right and true and good. 

BUT, this fundamental freedom is under attack. 

When MAiD (medical aid in dying) was legalized in 2015, we were told that euthanasia would not become a matter of coercion. 

Yet, with Bill C-7, patients are at risk of being pressured to receive a medically assisted death and doctors are being pressured to be complicit in deaths that they would not advise. 

Nobody should be forced to die or to facilitate death against their wishes. 

This is why conscience protections are paramount. 

This is why they matter for both patients and doctors alike. 

If all doctors are forced to propose MAiD to their patients, this one-size fits all approach would actually give Canadians less choice, not more. Patients would no longer be free to seek a second opinion for their end-of-life care, and people who object to MAiD would be deterred from entering the medical profession altogether.  

MP Kelly Block has tabled a Private Member's Bill called The Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act. 

This bill would ensure that the fundamental freedom of conscience is upheld by making it a criminal offence for physicians and healthcare practitioners to be coerced or intimidated to provide or refer a patient for assisted suicide or euthanasia. 

The bill would also make it a criminal offence to fire or refuse to hire for the same reason. 

Ultimately, this bill would ensure that all patients have access to second opinions, not just one-size fits all healthcare.

Please sign this petition to support Kelly Block’s private member’s bill, which protects doctor-patient relationships and ensures every patient can receive a second opinion. This bill does not prevent access to MAiD in Canada; it simply affirms freedom of conscience. 

I call on the House of Commons to:

• Make it against the law for physicians and healthcare to be coerced or intimidated to provide or refer a patient for assisted suicide or euthanasia.
• Make sure all patients have access to a second opinion.