Mr. Speaker, every one of us has their own story, experiences, destiny, and perspective on life and death.
However, no one, and I mean no one, can be indifferent to the bill we will soon be voting on. It is important to respect the personal and private opinions of all our colleagues on both sides of the House.
Just 15 years ago, we might never have had this discussion or this debate. Quebec paved the way with its end-of-life legislation. After more than six years of countless meetings and many discussions, and not without much debate involving all of society, members of Quebec's National Assembly passed the bill, which became a reality for Quebec.
One of my former colleagues in the House, the Hon. Steven Fletcher, introduced two bills on this issue in 2014, thus laying the groundwork for national reflection. In 2015, the Supreme Court also struck down the Criminal Code section that prohibits a doctor from assisting someone to end their life in very specific circumstances.
There is little time left before the Government of Canada puts in place a Canadian law to provide a framework for medical assistance in dying.
A special joint committee was struck, and six weeks of meetings, discussions, and testimony followed. The committee then tabled a report in the House of Commons. In response, a bill was drafted. Now we need to work together to make the bill law.
We must take Canadians' opinions into account. This is not a partisan issue. This is a social issue that should bring people together. First and foremost, we must protect the most vulnerable members of society. It is the Government of Canada's duty to legislate on this very difficult matter. This bill touches our core values. We will never achieve unanimity.
Even so, we have to address concerns that have been raised about a subject that is still sensitive and emotional for all of us. It is our duty to have a frank and open discussion to move the debate forward in response to the Supreme Court of Canada's request.
I think we need to set aside any emotions we might be feeling in connection with such a personal and sensitive subject. We must ensure that the legislation includes guarantees to protect the most vulnerable members of our society as well as the conscience rights of doctors and other health professionals.
As legislators, we must have an open discussion that respects who we are, and we must be free to vote in accordance with what we believe deep down.
We must also make some amendments to ensure that there is an excellent framework for this legislation.
We must respect the rights of the ill, but we must also respect the right of doctors to say no. There is currently a grey area that leaves room for interpretation by the provinces. We must be united as a country on protecting doctors, pharmacists, and institutions. I am talking about all health care personnel.
The Government of Canada must ensure that the people who make use of this legislation are making a clear and informed choice and have all of the information they need to make an informed decision.
There are some concerns, especially in the details of the bill, with respect to the fact that nurses have the same decision-making power as doctors in providing medical assistance in dying.
I remind members that Bill C-14 on medical assistance in dying is the government's response to the Carter decision. In this decision, the court ruled that people have a right to medical assistance in dying if they are adults, if they are suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition, and if they have given informed consent.
It is important to consider what “informed consent” means. It must be clearly defined, to ensure that the Canadian public is fully aware of what is involved.
We must also consider and propose solutions for people who want to live, in spite of their illness, and for those who want to be with their loved ones even though they realize they are at the end of their life. I think it is very important that we invest much more in palliative care.
We are talking a lot about medical assistance in dying, but I get the impression that in this debate members are forgetting about the most important thing, and that is the ill person. There is little or no reference to those who will never make use of this legislation.
On a more personal note, I too have had to think carefully about this issue. I carefully weighed the pros and cons. I looked to my own experiences for answers to my questions. I searched my past. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought about my views on life and death. I saw the face of my father, who was stuck in a wheelchair for over six years. Not a day went by when he did not shed some tears. How many times did he tell me that he would rather die than be there, paralyzed, unable to walk or be completely autonomous?
However, I also thought about the time when, of necessity, I ended up supporting my friend Rachel through the terminal stage of her illness. She had AIDS, but she wanted to live at all costs, despite the illness that was consuming her.
Then there is me, both a legislator and a human being, who must, in all honesty, reflect logically on what I myself would do if I were at the end of my life and had to make a choice. There is no obvious answer. However, I dislike aggressive therapy, and everything is already there in black and white.
This debate has forced me to think beyond death itself to accepting it and to the grieving process that is necessary either for the person involved or the loved ones.
The medical assistance in dying legislation is not perfect. There are some things that need to be redefined and a few amendments to incorporate, but we have to keep in mind that the Supreme Court is pressing us to pass legislation by June 6. That is why I am voting in favour of this motion, in order for the bill to go back to committee and for the committee, which is duly appointed, to study the provisions and ensure that all Canadians are protected. They are what matter most here.
