I am deeply disturbed by the CPSA's proposed update to its Standards of Practice that will take away from physicians the ability to have a conscientious objection to contentious practices such as MAID or abortion and force them to refer patients to doctors who do not share their objections. Doctors must be allowed to follow their conscience in recommending courses of treatment that they believe is in the best interests of patients. To force them to violate their consciences on these matters will mean that they will be forced out of practicing medicine in Alberta, at a time when we can ill afford to lose any medical professionals. I fail to see how this proposed update is good for health care in Alberta. What danger is it to allow diversity of opinion amongst our doctors on these practices? There are many ways in which patients who desire these procedures can find doctors to do them, if their own doctor does not. Forcing someone to violate their consciences in order to do their job is a very dangerous precedent.