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Jenny Kwan

NDP on Medical Assistance in Dying Safeguards Act

Replying to Garnett Genuis (Conservative)
“Mr. Speaker, it has become evident to me, spending some time in other parts of the world talking to legislators elsewhere, how much Canada has become an international pariah. A source of its international shame relates to the protection of the rights of people with disabilities. There has been high-level criticism of Canada, and in particular, the MAID regime, in terms of how it treats people living with disabilities. I have spoken to disability rights organizations that are deeply concerned about how, on a regular basis, people with disabilities live with unprompted proposals for MAID from people who are supposed to be supporting them, essentially sending them the message that people in authority think they would be better off dead. This is a source of shame for our country and something we need to take seriously and change. Meanwhile, the government wants to further push MAID in spite of all of these concerns. Why do we not take this criticism seriously and listen to people with disabilities who are raising these concerns?”

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Mr. Speaker, I think the important issue here is this. At the nub of the issue, what I want to see is for the government to step up in providing the necessary supports for people who face difficulties and people who have mental health challenges, all the way from early diagnosis to prevention to treatment. That is not happening right now across the country, and most certainly is not happening in British Columbia and in Vancouver East. That was the case when the Conservatives were in government, and it is the case now with the Liberals in government, so I would say to everybody, step it up for the community so that people are not faced with impossible choices and decisions.