Discussion · Government Orders
Dominique O'Rourke Liberal
“We should not allow assisted dying for people with chronic mental illness. We need to give them hope and care instead. People should also stop speaking badly about the doctors and nurses who provide palliative care and assisted dying. Allowing people to make an assisted dying request in advance is just like respecting a do-not-resuscitate order.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Homewood Research Institute, which is based in Guelph and is a global leader in mental health research, for the really incredible webinar it did outlining why it was important not to proceed with permitting medical assistance in dying for folks who have a chronic mental illness. Part of that is to continue to give them hope and to make sure that nationally we provide access to care. What I am concerned about when listening to the debate tonight is that I feel like there is some level of disparagement toward the palliative care practitioners in this country and the people who administer MAID, who absolutely seek the consent of people and accompany them with dignity in their final moments. I just want to make sure that we are not straying into that space. I would also point out that if we sign a “do not resuscitate” order, that order is respected should it come to that in a hospital. An advance directive is essentially the same thing.”
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Homewood Research Institute, which is based in Guelph and is a global leader in mental health research, for the really incredible webinar it did outlining why it was important not to proceed with permitting medical assistance in dying for folks who have a chronic mental illness. Part of that is to continue to give them hope and to make sure that nationally we provide access to care. What I am concerned about when listening to the debate tonight is that I feel like there is some level of disparagement toward the palliative care practitioners in this country and the people who administer MAID, who absolutely seek the consent of people and accompany them with dignity in their final moments. I just want to make sure that we are not straying into that space. I would also point out that if we sign a “do not resuscitate” order, that order is respected should it come to that in a hospital. An advance directive is essentially the same thing.