These paragraphs go to the heart of the bill. I'd like to address this amendment plus Mr. Rankin's amendments.
They are about who can or cannot avail themselves of physician-assisted dying.
I appreciate this amendment because it swings the true focus to the patient's enduring and intolerable suffering rather than the nature of the disease or ailment and whether or not it's terminal or represents some manner of decline. I feel that the salient part of the bill is the patient's enduring and intolerable suffering.
However while I appreciate these amendments, I fear that if any of them pass, this bill will not pass the House so while I can't vote against the amendments, I can't support them either so I will abstain from all three.