(Oct 2017) Many CSPSP members have been educating the public about palliative care, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), and the relationship between the two. In recent months, Dr. Sandy Buchman shared his views with Macleans magazine, and Dr. Craig Goldie’s wrote an article for The Conversation. These thoughtful articles demonstrate the range of views that physicians are taking as they adapt to a healthcare system where MAiD is legal.

Dr. Sandy Buchman: The doctor who took on death (Macleans; Aug 15, 2017)

Dr. Craig Goldie: Who will be the doctors of death in a time of assisted suicide? (The Conversation; Oct 2017)

The CSPCP Board would like you to consider signing the petition supporting MP Marilyn Gladu’s Private Member’s Bill C-277.
This is an Act Providing for the Development of a Framework on Palliative Care in Canada, as described in the attached documents.

In Ms. Gladu’s words, “the bill is looking to create accessible, quality palliative care for all Canadians regardless of social, economic or geographical factors. Quality, compassionate care for all Canadians will provide vulnerable Canadians with dignity and care at end of life.”

“In light of the medically-assisted dying legislation, terminally-ill Canadians must also have the choice to live as well as they can, for as long as they can. The Government of Canada must assist Canadians with end of life care, including palliative options. I have enclosed a form letter which you may have your members send free of charge to their local Members of Parliament, as well as to the Prime Minister.

I would like to invite you to sign my online petition calling on the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as the Minister of Health, to act on the subject of palliative care and to make it accessible to all Canadians. Please share this petition with your colleagues and staff to help raise awareness for palliative care. I am looking forward to presenting this petition to the House of Commons as soon as possible. The petition can be found through this link, https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-425

Please feel free to contact me or my office anytime at Marilyn.gladu@parl.gc.ca or at 613-957-2649.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Gladu
Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton

Letter to sign

On May 1, 2016, the CSPCP submitted a written brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights with suggested amendments to Bill C-14. We were also invited to give an in-person presentation, which was given by Dr. Monica Branigan, Board Member and Chair of the CSPCP Working Group on Hastened Death, on May 3rd.

View the brief: Read More

The same presentation was made by Dr. Branigan and CSPCP President Dr. Susan MacDonald to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on May 10th.

The CSPCP signed an Open Letter that was sent to the Prime Minister, Justice Minister, and Health Minister of Canada on April 13, 2016, as part of nation-wide call to include a right to palliative care in assisted dying legislation. The letter and backgrounder are posted below.

LETTER

BACKGROUNDER

To endorse the letter personally click here, then enter your identifying information at the bottom of the page.

Quote from CSPCP President Dr. Susan MacDonald: “Its a fact of life that all of us will die. Most of us will have a chronic condition long before our lives end, and with that condition will come suffering, both physical, emotional and spiritual. Some day, you, those you love, and those you know will need good palliative care and we need to ensure that it is available to everyone. The recent Carter decision has shifted the emphasis away from palliative care to physician hastened death. Perhaps up to 3 % of Canadians may ask for assistance in hastening their deaths, while all Canadians can benefit from an integrated palliative care approach. To give Canadians true choice, we should ensure a right to palliative care when we create a right to hastened death.”