The previous Parliament supported Timmins-James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus' motion to establish a pan-Canadian palliative care strategy but the Conservative government failed to act. With upcoming government legislation on end of life care, New Democrats are expanding their push for federal action on palliative care as laid out in their recently-tabled motion M-46*.
“We have all lost a family member or loved one, which is why end of life care touches every Canadian and leaves an impact on every single family. Improved palliative care services are an obvious need, which is why New Democrats are pushing the government to act.”
Palliative care is an essential component to a comprehensive response to end of life care, especially given Canada’s aging population. That is why in addition to their motion, New Democrats fought to incorporate palliative care into the Joint Committee report on Physician-Assisted Dying and made it a core part of the NDP supplementary report.
“How Canadians are treated in their final days profoundly impacts how we approach end of life care,” added MP Don Davies, NDP Health critic. “When we have good options for palliative care, we can ease the many burdens on families so they are able to make these difficult transitions with confidence and sensitivity.“