Evidence of meeting #29 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
A recording is available from Parliament.
December 1st, 2022 / 5:25 p.m.
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
The last ones came five years ago, about obtaining the platform.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay.
Mr. Moncur, earlier you threw out something that I found striking. You talked about medical assistance in dying being offered to veterans in many forms.
That is what you said, right?
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
It's something called “sanctuary trauma”. You're looking to someone for help, and they're not offering it. It's common in soldiers who are looking for help for PTSD, and also for young children where one parent is taking advantage of a child: the child goes to the other parent to tell them about it, and the child is ignored.
That's what it feels like sometimes when Veterans Affairs does this. It's a medical term called sanctuary trauma. It's like PTSD's ugly cousin. When I started my advocacy, I couldn't grow a beard. It took me almost 10 years to get my pension sorted out. There's a lot of frustration and futility that goes with trying to navigate through Veterans Affairs. Eventually, veterans just lose hope and think about taking their lives. It's the triple D policy of delay, deny, die. Dead veterans cost no money.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
If you had only one recommendation for the committee, what would it be?
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay. Thank you.
Ms. Gauthier, I believe you wanted to add something.
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
Yes, I'd like to comment on medical assistance in dying.
I have in my files a letter that I wrote after medical assistance in dying was suggested to me. I was told that if I was that desperate, they could give me medical assistance in dying now. I surmised that Veterans Affairs Canada was going to provide me with medical assistance in dying faster than they were going to provide me with the equipment I needed to live. I then wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister MacAulay.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Could you not make that letter public, but give us a copy of it?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Excuse me, Mr. Desilets, but Mr. Richards seems to want to say something.
Mr. Richards, do you have a point of order?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
My apologies, as Mr. Desilets might have already handled it. I was going to suggest that the witness provide a copy of that to the clerk, so the committee can benefit from it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Perfect.
You may continue, Mr. Desilets. You have two minutes left.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I'd like you to submit any documentation you have related to this.
You wrote to the Prime Minister after someone offered you medical assistance in dying.
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
Yes, that's right.
In the letter I sent to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister MacAulay, I wrote that if they wanted to help me die before they would provide me with the disability equipment I needed to live, they were going to have to look me in the eye and give me the injection themselves.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I realize that it's difficult to talk about, but it would help us greatly if you could elaborate a bit.
What were you told? How did they offer that to you? How did they frame it?
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
It happened exactly as I just said. I was told that, if I was finding it too hard to live, they could help me access medical assistance in dying.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Do you know whether that was offered to other people as well?
Corporal (Retired), As an Individual
I saw that the RCMP was investigating the matter. According to the minister, Mr. MacAulay, it was an isolated case, but it happened to four other people. I am the fifth, and if the story came out, I think more people would probably come forward.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Mr. Desilets.
Go ahead, Ms. Blaney. You have six minutes.