The Ethics Committee deals with ethical issues related to people with disabilities as they are brought to the attention of MLPD. The roles of the committee are:

1.	To monitor public policy developments in Manitoba which raise specific Ethical and Human Rights concerns for persons with disabilities.
2.	To develop recommendations for the MLPD Provincial Council on ethics and public policy.
3.	To share the perspective and work of the committee in ethics forums.
4.	To assist the MLPD to inform grassroots consumers about ethical issues and assist the MLPD in developing opportunities to increase consumer understanding of how ethical issues impact on persons with disabilities.
5.	To assist the MLPD Council to participate in national forums on ethics.

Over the past year, the Ethics Committee has focused primarily on two issues, opposing Bill C-384 and monitoring events related to the Sinclair Inquest.

With respect to Bill C-384, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) wrote to all federal MPs to oppose Francine Lalonde’s private members bill on legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada, and MLPD undertook a similar letter writing campaign to Manitoba MPs. We are pleased to report the Bill C-384 was defeated in the House of Commons in April 2010.

In relation to the Sinclair inquest, MLPD explored the feasibility of intervening at the Brian Sinclair inquest. Brian is an Aboriginal man who waited 34 hours in a hospital emergency room and died there without receiving the treatment he needed. Although we determined that a formal intervention is not feasible, MLPD members plan to attend the Sinclair inquest to read a prepared statement on behalf of MLPD and respond to media inquiries about ethical issues raised at the inquest. The inquest was to have taken place in the fall of 2009, but has been delayed for a variety of reasons. A date has not yet been set.

The Ethics Committee continues to monitor developments on the College of Physicians and Surgeons Statement on withholding and withdrawing of life sustaining treatment and individual members continue to attend lunch and learn sessions at St. Boniface Hospital on various ethical issues.