SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Hon. Ed Fast

  • Member of Parliament
  • Conservative
  • Abbotsford
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $146,571.88

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 283 - Feb/15/24
Hon. Ed Fast
  • Feb/15/24 11:02:49 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, let me first of all thank that member for bringing such a thoughtful approach to our work at the committee and now here in the House. I agree with him that we should have an indefinite pause on this expansion, but with respect to the Supreme Court of Canada, I think it would be wrong to presume what the court might read into any additional changes that might happen. We do know that the federal government refused to appeal lower court decisions, like the EF decision in Alberta and the Truchon case in Quebec, to the Supreme Court of Canada, which is where this type of final decision should rest. I expect fully that eventually a case will make its way up to the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada will opine whether the Carter decision should go beyond just the incurable, intolerable illnesses where death was reasonably foreseeable and should in fact include vulnerable populations like the mentally ill.
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Context: House Hansard - 281 - Feb/13/24
Hon. Ed Fast (Abbotsford, CPC)
  • Feb/13/24 5:15:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do agree that this is an intensely personal decision for each one of us. I listened carefully to the member's speech. At the beginning, he seemed to suggest that the reason the government was compelled to move forward with expanding MAID for the mentally ill was that the lower courts have forced the government to do this, but the courts have not actually directed the Canadian government to implement MAID for the mentally ill. The Supreme Court of Canada has never opined on the matter. In fact, every time the Liberal government has been given the opportunity to appeal a case to the Supreme Court, it has refused to do so, probably for ideological reasons. I would ask the member for his opinion. Does he believe that the Supreme Court of Canada has directed the House, this Parliament, to implement medical assistance in dying for the mentally ill, yes or no?
155 words
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