Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My amendment would add paragraph 2(1)(g), which would be another factor for the government to consider. It would ask that the government “evaluates the advisability of re-establishing the Department of Health's Secretariat on Palliative and End-of-Life Care”.
This is not obligating the government to do that, but I think they should look at it, given that there was a secretariat for a number of years, which was removed by a previous government.
I reviewed the testimony. I think I put that question to all the witnesses.
Dr José Pereira, the chief scientific officer of Pallium Canada, said, “I would strongly recommend that we re-establish a secretariat or office or framework building on the successes that we had earlier on, but adding much more to that.” Ms. Sharon Baxter, the executive director of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, and her group have called for a national secretariat. Ms. Josette Roussel, a senior nurse advisor from the Canadian Nurses Association, also said, “Reinstatement of Health Canada's secretariat on palliative and end-of-life care is a move that CNA would support.” Finally, Dr. David Henderson, the president of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians, talked about the recommendation of the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying, and cited its call for the re-establishment of a secretariat on palliative and end-of-life care as a very important part, or a companion piece to the physician-assisted death provisions. He also supported that.
I would hope I would get all-party support for the government to at least look at the advisability of re-establishing a secretariat.
