Mr. Speaker, May 5 to 12 is National Palliative Care Week, a time for us to reflect on the importance of palliative care. As individuals near the end of life, they and their loved ones often need the kind of holistic care that palliative care provides to manage symptoms and to support the best possible quality of life in all its dimensions: physical, spiritual, emotional and social.
The Government of Canada has an ongoing commitment to quality palliative care. A secretariat on palliative care and end of life care has been established within Health Canada. Health Canada has also injected substantial funding into web based projects such as PALLIUM and start-up funding for the Canadian Virtual Hospice. The federal government has provided funding to the national Canadian Palliative Care Association to develop national norms of practice for hospice palliative care.
I hope the House will join me in applauding the efforts of the many providers of care, from spiritual care and social support to the dedication of health care professionals, volunteers, family caregivers and others who tirelessly dedicate their efforts to bringing quality palliative care to Canadians.