Angus has assembled an array of supporters for his private member’s Motion M-456, including the Vancouver, Timmins and Rouyn-Noranda dioceses, as well as a range of health care organizations, including family physicians’ and palliative care physicians’ organizations. M-456 came up for its first of two hours of debate April 1.
The Catholic community can “put pressure on” to enlarge the conversation and talk “a positive way” about “how we improve the health care of ordinary people in a more consistent way,” he said.
“The organizations on the frontline they get it, they understand the importance of getting this conversation started now,” Angus said. “The broader conversation has to happen among Canadians.”
Angus recently met with Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Paul-André Durocher to talk not only about the motion but also the revival of the NDP’s Faith Caucus.
“Certainly I think the bishops of our country are in favour of the care of people who are dying,” Durocher said. “The general goals of his legislation are likely to find great support among Catholics of every stripe.”
Angus, who is Catholic, expressed concern the conversation about palliative care as a common sense solution to concerns about end-of-life care could be “derailed” by a debate on assisted suicide and euthanasia now that Conservative MP Stephen Fletcher has introduced two private member’s bills favouring those options.
Durocher noted all the Quebec bishops had opposed similar legislation before Quebec’s National Assembly that died when the provincial election was called.
Discussing assisted suicide without having a national system of quality palliative care in place would be “pre-emptive,” Angus said. When people do not have access to quality palliative care, they are “not in a fair position to even discuss the issue of assisted suicide,” the MP said.
Arguing on the issue of assisted suicide is “very complicated and very emotionally difficult for people,” Angus said. Besides, people “can’t even agree on what the terms mean.”
Family physicians and palliative care physicians “are very uncomfortable when politicians go down the road on assisted suicide,” he said. “Let’s talk palliative care.”
With support from the medical community, organizations working with the terminally ill and seniors, Angus said he is “hoping we can have an adult and respectful conversation” about what palliative care resources are out there, what models work and how these resources can be shared and expanded “that could make a world of difference for people in difficult situations.”
Angus noted the NDP “does not take a position on assisted suicide,” but “recognizes the diversity of opinion.”
Motion M-456 is meant to address the fact “death affects people spiritually, in the community and in the family,” Angus said. “Palliative care is about that.”