As the clock counts down to the deadline for passing the federal government's doctor-assisted dying bill, not everyone thinks it's such a good idea.
The group Wings of Palliative Care is planning a rally Saturday morning at Charles Clark Square in Windsor. It starts at 11am.
Organizer John Azzopardi doesn't believe Canadians fully understand what they're getting into and thinks it should have been voted on in a referendum, as opposed to being imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada.
"We didn't get an opportunity to vote on this," he says. "The courts are basically forcing this upon the country."
Azzopardi says Canada would be better off investing more in palliative care and educating people about their end-of-life options. At the very least, he believes doctors and nurses who object to doctor-assisted dying based on philosophical or religious beliefs should have the opportunity to opt out.
"We are going to be the only country in the world that doesn't allow for doctors and nurses to follow their conscience," says Azzopardi. "These people went into this profession to help people live, not help them die."
The country's highest court has given the Trudeau government until Monday to pass Bill C-14.
While it passed in the House of Commons, it's already receiving a rough ride in the Senate where many Senators object to various parts of the bill. The most common complaint is that it only applies to those who are close to death. They say it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
