Amended version of Bill C-7 passed by Canadian House of Commons last week by a 180-149 vote and expected to gain Senate approval. Canada's euthanasia and assisted suicide laws would become one of the most accessible in the world, putting vulnerable but non-terminal conditions such as mental illness at risk. The legislation is a response to a Quebec Superior Court decision where it was ruled that 'reasonably foreseeable' criteria contravenes Canada's charter of rights and freedoms. Canada does not have a good track record on mental illness and has moved quickly in this regard. In 2015 Parliament approved 'medical assistance in dying' (MAID). Advocates soon pushed for expansion and filed lawsuits, including the case approved in Quebec. It is feared that C-7 will lead to eventually approving euthanasia for patients with conditions such as dementia. Could scenarios unfold in Canada and elsewhere similar to those once common in Nazi Germany (upon research by Dr. Asperger) where children with extreme cases of developmental disabilities are placed in 'killing cottages'?
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