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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, April 13, 2023

British Columbia's New Powers to Silence Dissenting Physicians

Recently passed legislation puts involuntary treatment and mandatory compliance into effect

Commentary by Mary Lowther

OMNS (April 13, 2023) Last November the British Columbia Provincial Government introduced the Health Professions and Occupations Act, also referred to as Bill 36, passed and enacted with a minimum of debate, consultation or media promulgation. It empowers the government to assume more control over how health care is provided, replacing the current peer-elected boards with government appointees.

The reorganized regulatory colleges are required to create bylaws mandating vaccines for any condition the government determines necessary, and have the authority to define informed consent.

A medical professional who challenges the government position on anything can face discipline and loss of licence. Penalties can include fines up to $200,000 and/or two years in jail. The government can, without notice to the person affected, enter premises and search, seize or copy their property. They can secure the premises and prevent the owner from accessing or entering.

The government explanation of the Act is that it "streamlines the process for designating new health professions and occupations" and "clarifies processes for creating and combining regulatory bodies and transferring the governance of health professions and occupations between regulators."

However, Brian Peckford, former Premier of Newfoundland, disagrees. He is the last surviving member of the group that drew up Canada's Charter of Rights. This is his take on the now enacted bill:

"If a health professional questions the safety and efficacy of the Covid vaccinations for example, this would qualify as false or misleading information based on what the government has been saying for the last 2 years, which could result in fines of up to $200.000 and up to 6 months in jail for each "offence." This bill gives government extreme powers to punish, fine, jail and search and seize people who the government deems to be performing duties they wish to regulate (natural health practitioners, for example).

"The College Board is mandated to make bylaws regarding informed consent. The common law already clearly defines this right as does the BC Health Care (Consent) and Facility (Admission) Act. Does the government intend to expand or restrict our rights of informed consent based upon what we have seen over the last 2 years?"

Most troubling is that this bill allows the government to add future powers to their appointed Governmental Colleges overseeing medical practice in BC, without debate or oversight.

All health care practitioners, including those who work outside of government run facilities, must now have the experimental injections against Covid or lose their licences. This bill, drafted in secret, enables the government to enforce vaccination on any person for any illness they choose. The government can appoint a non-health care worker to decide whether or not a person is ill and requires treatment, medication or vaccination.

Nutrition-centered prevention is a better, safer, and more egalitarian alternative to improve public health. Adequate supplements of essential nutrients, along with natural exposure to pathogens, generate robust immunity and allow life to go back to normal. The International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine's specific nutrient recommendations are presented in a short video at https://vimeo.com/398342045 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWVHupIXOog

The Act also creates independent disciplinary tribunals with "transparency" requirements that mandate publication of accusations before any hearing to determine validity. A practitioner could be falsely accused of impropriety, damaging their reputation beyond repair. No retraction or exoneration will make them whole. Grounds for complaint have been expanded from professional competence to include complaints of racism and gender discrimination that are already (and more appropriately) covered by existing human rights legislation.

BC lawyer Charlene Le Beau states: "The enactment of Bill 36 would evidence a further erosion of the rights and freedoms our Charter is supposed to protect, particularly individual liberty. As Aristotle posited, 'The basis of a democratic state is liberty.'

Dr. Jennifer Lush writes: "Bill 36, passed by the BC government in November, gives the province unilateral power over doctors and your private health-care information. I am all for an overhaul of the college of Physicians and Surgeons, but Bill 36 makes me cringe."

Cringeworthy, indeed. Bill 36 reads like Big Brother's wish list: involuntary treatment, suppression of dissent and mandatory compliance. How ironic this was conceived, passed and enacted in a democracy. And how ironic that in a few short years we've gone from having a war on drugs to a war for them. Where will this lead?

(Mary Lowther was born in Digby, England and grew up in both Sri Lanka and Canada. Her university degree is in social work.)

Editor's note: Just as OMNS has previous published in regards to Australia, Europe, Asia, and the USA, I wish to continue to bring readers' attention to other nations' legislation that concerns doctors and patients everywhere. (Andrew W. Saul, Editor-in-Chief )


References:

Brian Peckford, CLG News - (Nov. 27, 2022). https://www.legitgov.org/british-columbia-bill-c-36-drafted-secret-lays-groundwork-forced-vaccination-any-illness-government

BC Rise - Criticism and concern sparked over BC Government's Bill 36 (Dec. 6, 2022). https://www.bcrise.com/local-news/criticism-and-concern-sparked-over-bc-governments-bill-36/

Jennifer Lush, CHA news - Doctor lashes out against authoritarian Bill 36- (Jan. 14, 2023) https://www.eastonspectator.com/2023/01/12/british-columbia-doctor-lashes-out-against-authoritarian-bill-36-by-brian-peckford/ or https://peckford42.wordpress.com/2023/01/12/british-columbia-doctor-lashes-out-against-authoritarian-bill-36/

Here is the link to Bill 36: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/legislation-debates-proceedings/42nd-parliament/3rd-session/bills/first-reading/gov36-1


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