We know that there will be Canadians who want physician-hastened death. We know that Canadians need physician-hastened death in some situations. I'm not sure this will answer your question in the way you worded it, but one thing we want is for Canadians to have the best options and the best care possible up to the point where they decide on physician-hastened death.
You know, even within the hospice palliative care community, a small number of palliative care physicians have said they'd be interested in performing physician-hastened death. Most of them aren't interested, but what all of them are saying is that they want to give the best care possible and see if we can manage the pain and symptoms. Then we will refer them on to find the best person or the best program to provide physician-hastened death.
There's not a conflict between the two. We just want to make sure that the best care is offered and the best options are offered at the start, before they go to physician-hastened death. I think there are some concerns about having somebody who has had uncontrolled pain, because a lot of Canadians aren't getting the right care they need at the end of their lives. They're living in isolation, they're showing up in hospital emergency rooms without having the proper care or ever being referred to palliative care programs. These people arrive in drastic circumstances. We're saying we want to get them the best care possible, and then if they want to have a physician-hastened death, we will refer them and they will get that.