Bridging the palliative care gap in Canada
Bill C-277, An Act Providing for the Development of a Framework on Palliative Care in Canada, had its 2nd Reading in the House of Commons on November 23, 2016. The Bill enjoys broad support across party lines.
Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu introduced Bill C-277 in Parliament on May 30, 2016, at the height of the Liberals' push to pass Euthansia Bill C-14 to legalize medical homicide in Canada. Speaking to her Motion, MP Gladu noted that C-277 “is a timely bill, especially in light of the Bill C-14 legislation. The committee that considered the Carter report stated that the request for physician-assisted death could not be truly voluntary if the option of proper palliative care was not available to alleviate a person's suffering."
Bill C-277 would define the much needed services to be covered under palliative care, including such items as advanced pain management techniques. It would establish standard training requirements for service providers, outline a plan to achieve consistent access to palliative care for all Canadians, and define the mechanisms for achieving these goals with measurements and data to track their effectiveness.
CLC fully supports Bill C-277 as it currently stands because we recognize that providing high quality, accessible palliative care is one way to reduce the number of Canadians who might otherwise choose euthanasia in lieu of effective pain relief.
As euthanasia creeps more and more into Canadian culture and the psyche of the nation, the pressure to request being put to death will only increase on the vulnerable and the suffering. Bill C-277 can provide a compassionate and life-affirming alternative to the bleak options of euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Please take action by contacting your local MP and ask him or her to support Bill C-277.