Madam Speaker, today I rise to present a petition submitted by my dear friend Mr. Norm MacIsaac and signed by over 25,000 Canadians.
These thousands of Canadians, whether they are patients, caregivers, friends and family, or concerned citizens, urge the government to do much more to support Canadians living with ALS.
The petitioners are calling on the Minister of Health to create a pilot project to reduce delays in accessing innovative and potentially life-saving treatments.
I want to be very clear: This petition is extremely important and has the support of the ALS caucus, which has members from all five political parties represented in this House. This is not a partisan issue, and I have worked very hard with my colleagues on the issue of ALS treatment and the need to rapidly improve access. For people living with ALS, time is simply something they do not have. For so many of the courageous people battling this debilitating disease—the husbands and wives, the sons and daughters, the friends—time is running out.