Daughter of terminally ill patient speaks out against assisted suicide at bill hearings

CTV Montreal: Euthanasia bill hearings Hearings continue on the PQ's proposed dying with dignity bill. As Max Harrold reports, a woman who believes the bill is wrong testifies.

Hearings on the Parti Quebecois government's proposed law to introduce medically-assisted dying for the terminally ill continued Tuesday in Quebec City

Among those testifying is Helene Beaudin, whose 89-year-old mother Madeleine Robidoux is battling terminal throat cancer and hasn’t eaten solid food in a year.

A new poll released Tuesday by the Quebec Chamber of Notaries shows 87 per cent of Quebecers support medically-assisted dying.

Beaudin and her family, however, believe the Dying with Dignity bill is wrong, not only for her mother, but for society as a whole.

The health system, she said, does enough already.

“They help them, I'm sure. I'm sure because they help my mom presently and they change the medication when I say I think it's too strong for her,” she said.

Beaudin came to the National Assembly Tuesday to support the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice, a group which staunchly opposes the bill they say would tempt certain patients to want to die

“If a person is in pain or discouraged, depressed, whatever it is, abandoned by their family,” said lawyer Dominique Talarico.

Quebec's aging population and the health care costs that come with it are not excuses to bring in euthanasia, the group said.

“It's sold that this is the best and only way to cure suffering. For the government, it's a win-win,” said Talarico.

Beaudin feels her mother gets all the help she needs from hospital staff and her family.

“We help her and she feels better but she's still going on and she understands. I have a feeling she's accepting her situation now,” said Beaudin.

The family knows their mother's death is not far off, and mostly that she is comfortable

“She's very happy,” she said.