We understand that there are many faith-based institutions that provide hospice and palliative care. It's even more important in those situations that a good, effective process of transfer of care does happen, as we've been talking about, especially in the more remote communities. It is the constitutional right of every Canadian to receive this care, and it is a fine balance between protecting the rights of conscience of the physician and making sure that the rights of the individual patient have not been violated. A good mechanism needs to exist. Whether it's a direct doctor referral care or a third party referral system, it needs to flow smoothly. I would think that if someone checks into an institution or a hospice facility that is faith-based, they would know ahead of time that certain moral values apply.
To go back to the previous question about institutions if they're publicly funded, we believe that publicly funded institutions should provide this kind of assisted dying.
We also believe in the sanctity of life, but we don't think that life should be extended and preserved at all costs. We believe that quality of life is really important as well. There is no dignity, there is no compassion when someone is terminally ill. They're at the end of their life. They can't take care of themselves. Their bodies have let them down. They are in pain and they can't look after themselves. There is no dignity in that.
My partner died a little over two years ago. He was diagnosed with a condition early in 2000 and lived beyond his original prognosis. He was fortunate enough to receive very good care in a hospice. It was excellent palliative care. But would he have wanted access to physician-assisted dying? Yes, he would have. He was in pain. He was uncomfortable. He was not the person that he knew himself to be. If we force someone to prolong their life because a physician isn't willing to provide that kind of care, then we're violating their constitutional rights.