Transcript from Power and Politics: THE RIGHT TO DIE EVAN SOLOMON Participants: STEVEN FLETCHER EVAN SOLOMON(NEWSCASTER): Evan: WELCOME BACK TO POWER & POLITICS. THE RIGHT TO DIE COULD SOON BE ON THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA BECAUSE A CONSERVATIVE MP WITH A PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL ON DOCTOR-ASSISTED SUICIDE IS TRYING TO FAST TRACK THE PROCESS BY MOVING IT THROUGH THE SENATE. NOW, WE TOLD YOU ON THIS PROGRAM BEFORE STEVEN FLETCHERS BILL WOULD ALLOW ANYONE OF SOUND MIND AGE 18 OR OLDER TO ASK A DOCTOR TO END HIS OR HER LIFE. BUT WHY IS HE PUSHING HIS FIGHT NOW THROUGH THE SENATE? COULD IT BECOME -- HIT THE FLOOR THROUGH THIS WAY? LETS FIND OUT. IN THE FORAY RIGHT NOW, MANITOBA CONSERVATIVE MP STEVEN FLETCHER. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO, EVAN. Evan: WE HAD YOU ON BACK IN MARCH ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW DOCTOR-ASSISTED SUICIDE. YOU ARE NOW NUMBER 239 ON THE LIST OF PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS. IN OTHER WORDS YOURE WAY AT THE BOTTOM THERE. WHATS THE NEW STRATEGY? NO, THE STRATEGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO HAVE IT GO THROUGH THE SENATE. I JUST DIDNT MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IN MARCH. WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS HAVE THE BILL INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, AND THE NDP MEMBER FROM MONTCALM, WHO IS ALSO IN A WHEELCHAIR, SECONDED THE BILL, AND ITS RIGHT AT THE END OF THE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE, AS YOU SAID. SO IT WILL NOT BE HEARD IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. I KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN DRAFTING THE BILL OVER CHRISTMAS. BUT THERES OTHER WAYS TO SKIN A CAT, AND ONE WAY IS TO HAVE THE SAME BILL INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE, AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PROCESSES, AND -- THAT ARE BYZANTINE-LIKE, BUT THEY CAN BE USED TO FAST TRACK A BILL, AND IF A BILL CAN GET THROUGH THIRD READING IN THE SENATE, IT GOES BACK TO THE HOUSE AT THE TOP OF THE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE. Evan: AND HOW MUCH SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE? I KNOW YOU HAVE A CONSERVATIVE SENATOR VERN WHITE. YOU HAVE SENATE LIBERALS AS WELL ON BOARD. LIKE LARRY CAMPBELL. I GUESS -- SORRY, LARRY CAMPBELLS -- I GUESS HES A SENATE LIBERAL. OF COURSE THERES ANOTHER CAMPBELL. HOW MUCH SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE IN THE SENATE? I THINK ITS SUBSTANTIAL FROM RIGHT ACROSS PARTY LINES, AND PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE END OUR LIVES HERE IN CANADA. I THINK PEOPLE REFER TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH SUE RODRIGUEZ IN SUPREME COURT 20 YEARS AGO, AND A VERY SIMILAR CASE IS COMING UP THIS FALL, AND I PREDICT THAT THE SUPREME COURT IS GOING TO STRIKE DOWN THE LAW AS IT IS, AND THEN PARLIAMENT IS RUNNING AFTER ITS TAIL AGAIN. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS PARLIAMENT TO PROACTIVELY CHANGE THE LAW BEFORE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE LAW. Evan: RIGHT. HOW FAST CAN THIS HAPPEN? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON OTHER PEOPLE. I WOULD -- IT COULD HAPPEN AS SOON -- YOU KNOW, BEFORE CHRISTMAS OF THIS YEAR. IT HAS TO GET THROUGH THE SENATE, WHICH MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAPPEN BEFORE SUMMER, AND IT DEPENDS ON THE COOPERATION. IM BEING VERY TRANSPARENT WITH WHAT MY PARLIAMENTARY STRATEGY IS. OTHER -- YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE A TACTICAL MISTAKE RIGHT THERE. BUT I THINK TRANSPARENCY ON THIS ISSUE IN PARTICULAR IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND CANADIANS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY LOOKING FOR A FORUM THROUGH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE. Evan: WELL, Mr. FLETCHER, WELL BE WATCHING THIS VERY CLOSELY. AS YOU SAY, ITS AN ISSUE THAT GLEANS A LOT OF ATTENTION. NOW YOUR MOVEMENT THROUGH THE SENATE WILL BE SOMETHING WELL BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY. I ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOU HAVING -- COMING ON THE SHOW TO TELL US THIS. AS YOU SAY, YOUVE REVEALED YOUR TACTICS. WELL FIND OUT HOW THEY PLAY OUT. YEAH, THATS RIGHT. THANKS, EVAN. Evan: STEVEN FLETCHER. ALL RIGHT. WELL TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT TO DIE, THAT ISSUE.
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 20:15:18 +0000
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