Discussion · Government Orders
Sean Fraser Liberal
“I am sorry the member lost his friend. I also lost a friend this way, and being with him before he died brought closure. The law must protect people from harm. That is why medically assisted dying requires an untreatable disease, unbearable suffering, approval from multiple doctors, and the right to change your mind at any time.”
“Mr. Speaker, I express my condolences on the loss of a friend. It is an experience I have shared with a friend of my own who, shortly before he passed, knowing when it would take place, had the opportunity to welcome us for one final time, to tell stories, to share jokes and to even have a shot of whisky days before he passed. It provided a level of closure for him and for his friends, including me. It is hard to discuss death in the context of justice, because it does not feel just when a person falls ill. It does not feel just when they must pass before their time, but we must turn our minds to the justice angle that would protect people against harms that may result, should a procedure be granted without proper protections in place. Ensuring that we insist upon diseases being irremediable, ensuring that there is intolerable suffering and ensuring there are multiple medical assessors who agree on the conditions that must be met before a procedure can be offered, are all baked into the law. In addition, we would be creating a system that would allow people to revoke their consent or change their conditions at any point in time. This is an important conversation. I see I have run out of time, but I thank the member sincerely for his question.”
Mr. Speaker, I express my condolences on the loss of a friend. It is an experience I have shared with a friend of my own who, shortly before he passed, knowing when it would take place, had the opportunity to welcome us for one final time, to tell stories, to share jokes and to even have a shot of whisky days before he passed. It provided a level of closure for him and for his friends, including me. It is hard to discuss death in the context of justice, because it does not feel just when a person falls ill. It does not feel just when they must pass before their time, but we must turn our minds to the justice angle that would protect people against harms that may result, should a procedure be granted without proper protections in place. Ensuring that we insist upon diseases being irremediable, ensuring that there is intolerable suffering and ensuring there are multiple medical assessors who agree on the conditions that must be met before a procedure can be offered, are all baked into the law. In addition, we would be creating a system that would allow people to revoke their consent or change their conditions at any point in time. This is an important conversation. I see I have run out of time, but I thank the member sincerely for his question.