The Quebec National Assembly on Thursday (Friday Australian time) passed new end-of-life legislation which allows terminally ill people the right to choose to die.
The move has been welcomed by Australia's Dying with Dignity members, and arguably by most Australians.
Dr Rodney Syme, vice-president of Dying with Dignity Victoria described the legislative change as "an indication that the views of the vast majority of the population are being recognised increasingly around the world".
The new law, "An Act respecting end-of-life care," was passed in a 94-22 free vote.
All those who voted against the bill are members of the Quebec Liberal Party.
In Quebec, a committee on dying with dignity was assembled several years ago, resulting in a report being tabled in early 2012 which provided the foundation for the end-of-life-care act.
Three American states have laws with provisions allowing for medical assistance in dying, and euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, while in Switzerland, a form of assisted suicide is legal.
The Quebec act comes with certain qualifications. The person must:
- Be an insured person within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act.
- Be of full age and capable of giving consent to care.
- Be at the end of life.
- Suffer from a serious and incurable illness.
- Experience constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering which cannot be relieved in a manner the patient deems tolerable.
Dr Syme said surveys have shown that 85% of Australians (Newspoll, 2012) and a majority of doctors support such legislation.
"It's time that politicians listened to their constituents on this issue. I'm absolutely certain that if they surveyed the people in their electorates, they would realise that it is fast becoming a political liability not to listen to constituents on the type of death they would like.
"Let's face it, we are all getting older - including politicians. How we die is important as the memory survives for those who remain."