Religious voice is essential in euthanasia debate

A few years ago I interviewed then Bloc Quebecois MP Francine LeBlanc. In 2010 she introduced a bill in Parliament to legalize euthanasia. At that time there didn’t seem a snowball’s chance in hell of it passing, but the introduction of the bill was at least a chance to talk about the issue.

In the process of covering the story I also interviewed Nuala Kenny, emeritus professor of bioethics at Dalhousie University, who is a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics and had dealt with palliative care for children. She was opposed to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

I would have assumed that for those on her side she was a great and rational voice to boost their cause. Not so. The next day I got an angry call from an anti-euthanasia activist who was very angry I had interviewed Kenny.