I agree with the comments made by my colleagues on both sides of me.
Looking back to previous comments, we just dealt with the advance directives regarding mental illness and mature minors, and we have dealt with conscience protection. The only issue that we are not dealing with in Bill C-14 is palliative care.
We have heard, as has been shared time and time again, that an adult who is in a state of suffering cannot provide consent if they do not have their suffering dealt with. Palliative care could be physical, emotional, or depression related. If you do not give someone palliative care, or at least offer it to them, then that issue is not being dealt with properly. You cannot properly administer medical aid in dying if palliative care is not part of it.
We've dealt with mature minors. We've dealt with advance directives and the mental health issue. This is the time when the government has an opportunity to deal with palliative care. If the government does not support it, then they leave that issue off the table. Other than aspirational commitments, this is an opportunity to make a specific commitment, as they have done with the other issues.
I encourage the government to reconsider and support this.