Discussion · Government Orders
Jacques Ramsay Liberal
“We should not rush to offer medically assisted dying to people with a mental illness. Many doctors and citizens do not want that yet, but Parliament can always look at it again later. I also want to know if this bill fixes problems with Quebec's rule about trusted third parties.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé, and I also thank our colleague, the member for Montcalm, for taking part in the committee’s work. My hon. colleague said that eligibility is closed “indefinitely”. I would like to remind him that a new bill can always be introduced later on. Nothing is ever closed indefinitely. He said that our party lacks political courage, but sometimes, ramming legislation down people’s throats is not the best way to move forward. Based on my conversations with some of the physicians who provide MAID, I can assure him that a lot of people, even in Quebec, would be upset if MAID was offered to people with a mental illness. That said, I want to ask my colleague his opinion of the trusted third person mentioned in Quebec’s legislation. We know there are problems with trusted third persons often being inadequately advised. Is there anything in our federal bill that might be appropriate?”
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé, and I also thank our colleague, the member for Montcalm, for taking part in the committee’s work. My hon. colleague said that eligibility is closed “indefinitely”. I would like to remind him that a new bill can always be introduced later on. Nothing is ever closed indefinitely. He said that our party lacks political courage, but sometimes, ramming legislation down people’s throats is not the best way to move forward. Based on my conversations with some of the physicians who provide MAID, I can assure him that a lot of people, even in Quebec, would be upset if MAID was offered to people with a mental illness. That said, I want to ask my colleague his opinion of the trusted third person mentioned in Quebec’s legislation. We know there are problems with trusted third persons often being inadequately advised. Is there anything in our federal bill that might be appropriate?