Here are sample letters that you can use for reference when addressing the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Minister of Health, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and your MP. Add a "handwritten" comment or question to attract attention and elicit a reply.
Letter to Prime Minister
Letter to Justice Minister
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(Your address and date)
The Honorable David Lametti, P.C., M.P. Dear Minister: Re: Medical Assistance in Dying vs Palliative Care I am writing to express my concern about the revision of Bill C-7 and the extension of MAiD eligibility to Canadians with mental illness as the sole condition underlying their request after March 2024. I want to live in a compassionate Canada where those suffering difficult health conditions or disabilities are loved, supported, and cared for, not put to death during a particularly difficult time in their lives. The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and pain and to improve a person’s quality of life until they die. Palliative care rather than MAiD needs to be more accessible as an alternative. Only 15% of Canadians receive palliative home care in their last month of life, while survey results show that most Canadians prefer to die at home (2018 Health Canada Report). In 2018 the government developed a Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. What has been done to implement the findings of this Framework? Thank you for the important work that you do each day on behalf of our country. Yours sincerely,
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Letter to Minister of Health
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(Your address and date)
The Honorable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P. Dear Minister: Re: Medical Assistance in Dying vs Palliative Care I am writing to express my concern about the revision of Bill C-7 and the extension of MAiD eligibility to Canadians with mental illness as the sole condition underlying their request after March 2024. I want to live in a compassionate Canada where those suffering difficult health conditions or disabilities are loved, supported, and cared for, not put to death during a particularly difficult time in their lives. The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and pain and to improve a person’s quality of life until they die. Palliative care rather than MAiD needs to be more accessible as an alternative. Only 15% of Canadians receive palliative home care in their last month of life, while survey results show that most Canadians prefer to die at home (2018 Health Canada Report). In 2018 the government developed a Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. What has been done to implement the findings of this Framework? Thank you for the important work that you do each day on behalf of our country. Yours sincerely,
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Letter to Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
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(Your address and date)
The Honorable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P. Dear Minister: Re: Medical Assistance in Dying vs Palliative Care I am writing to express my concern about the revision of Bill C-7 and the extension of MAiD eligibility to Canadians with mental illness as the sole condition underlying their request after March 2024. I want to live in a compassionate Canada where those suffering difficult health conditions or disabilities are loved, supported, and cared for, not put to death during a particularly difficult time in their lives. The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and pain and to improve a person’s quality of life until they die. Palliative care rather than MAiD needs to be more accessible as an alternative. Only 15% of Canadians receive palliative home care in their last month of life, while survey results show that most Canadians prefer to die at home (2018 Health Canada Report). In 2018 the government developed a Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. What has been done to implement the findings of this Framework? Thank you for the important work that you do each day on behalf of our country. Yours sincerely,
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Note: The members of the House of Commons who are members of the Queen's Privy Council retain the title "Honourable" for life and use the initials "P.C." after their name. M.P.: Member of the House of Commons P.C., M.P.: Member of the Privy Council and Member of the House of Commons (Source: Styles of address Federal Dignitaries)
So, if the MP you are writing to is a former Cabinet Minister, address the letter to "The Honourable _________, P.C., M.P." rather than to Mr. or Ms. ___________ as shown below.
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(Your address and date)
Mr./Ms. ____________ Dear Mr./Ms. ____________: Re: Medical Assistance in Dying vs Palliative Care I am writing to express my concern about the revision of Bill C-7 and the extension of MAiD eligibility to Canadians with mental illness as the sole condition underlying their request after March 2024. Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying in 2016, the number of Canadians accessing MAiD has increased significantly. Normalizing euthanasia will reinforce the hopelessness inherent in mental illness and erode the support offered them by the community. To be human is to be vulnerable. To be a citizen of Canada with a mental disorder or disability will be dangerous if Bill C-7 amendment is passed. Loneliness, vulnerability, and the fear of being a burden are just some of the issues that have been brought forward regarding people facing end of life decisions. If those are the reasons a person might no longer want to live, that may be more a reflection on how our disabled persons are treated than the real desire to end their lives. Euthanasia is not a cure for pain, disabilities, mental anguish, or loneliness: It is a death sentence. As a member of the Catholic Women’s League, I support sanctity of life from birth to natural death. It is imperative that the fears and concerns of all Canadians be considered before expanding MAiD. Please reconsider Bill C-7’s extension of MAiD eligibility to Canadians whose sole eligibility arises from mental illness. As your constituent, I appreciate all the work you do on behalf of our country. Yours respectfully,
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