Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his speech, and particularly for having the courage to share some of his personal story and interactions with dying. These personal stories help us to add context.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of palliative care that we have in this country, there are many cases where a person may think or be told that their pain is not manageable when in fact their pain is manageable. This is why I think we need a greater emphasis on palliative care and pain management.
I want to ask specifically about dealing with palliative care in the context of the legislation before us. We have heard that there is a commitment, not in this budget but at some point in the future, to make investments in palliative care. Most of us think that is a good thing. The problem is that individuals do not have access to quality palliative care, and yet there is no allowance in the legislation requiring that they be offered palliative care before pursuing the option of assisted suicide or euthanasia.
I wonder if the member would support an amendment, as was recommended this morning in committee by an association representing palliative care doctors, to ensure that people would be offered palliative care, and that people would not opt for euthanasia simply because they do not have access to palliative care.