44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2023 02:00PM
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand today to speak on behalf of the constituents of Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, a riding I am very proud to represent. If the Speaker will permit me just a bit of latitude, I have not had the opportunity before now to remember former colleague and member of Parliament Ray Boughen.
Ray was a dedicated public servant, but his earliest calling was as an educator. He was a long-time teacher and principal before being elected as mayor of Moose Jaw for two terms, from 1994 to 2000. He went on to serve as a trustee on the Prairie South School Division from 2000 to 2008 before entering federal politics. He served two terms as member of Parliament for Palliser before retiring in 2015.
Ray was instrumental in the early stages of my political career. Under his recommendation, or probably dare, I served as city councillor and later as mayor of Moose Jaw. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Sandra, his daughter Patti, his son Ryan, all his family and friends, the students who have been left behind and the people who know him.
Once again we are here debating an issue the Liberals have waited until the last minute to address. They have had years to work on this, and only now, as their polling numbers decline and their deadline approaches, are they finally listening to experts and putting the brakes on allowing medically assisted death for those suffering from mental illness.
This is a government of press releases and talking points. Quite honestly, the government has been forcing the issue without public consultation, and now there is a realization it does not have the support of the public. People have grave questions and concerns, and we are seeing that in almost every article we read in the news.
Instead of opening Pandora's box and seeking proper consultation before introducing policies like MAID, the Liberals have again been forced to backtrack. They have ignored experts, relying instead on their own ideology. This is a government that is out of touch with the everyday Canadian and will do absolutely everything to ignore good policy and common sense.
When experts come along with information that does not align with the Prime Minister's carefully drafted talking points, they are ignored, like the experts from the Association of Chairs of Psychiatry in Canada, who in December told the government that Canada was not ready to expand MAID to those suffering from mental illness.
If the government were serious about helping and treating people, it would work to ensure that access to qualified psychiatrists was easier to obtain than offering MAID. The government opened Pandora's box, and now we are seeing the results impacting our veterans community and have heard troubling testimony at my committee.
There are now multiple instances of the Department of Veterans Affairs discussing the topic of medical assistance in death with Canadian veterans. We heard one particularly troubling account of a veteran, who said he was “in a good place”, being told MAID was an option. He was told by a caseworker that they have done it before and they can do it for him. This is unacceptable. This is a conversation that should only be held between a patient and a doctor.
Now it has become so bad that the minister has been forced to refer one case to the RCMP. He now thinks the issue is done with. The truth is that there is a much deeper issue at play here, and many others have come forward since the minister has dismissed this.
Veterans who served our country and who now need their country are being betrayed by the government. Regardless of one's thoughts on MAID, when the law was passed, it was stated that any discussion of it had to be between a patient and a doctor. If the government's own departments cannot grasp this simple fact, how can we trust them to develop guidelines for mental health and the mental health industry?
This is beside the fact that wait times for veterans in Canada to receive treatment are skyrocketing, with many waiting almost a year. It can be even longer if someone is a francophone or a female veteran. Meanwhile, the wait time to obtain MAID is currently just 90 days.
After eight years of the Liberal government, everything is broken. Canadian veterans need help, and veterans needing help are seeing wait times skyrocket, not decline. There are veterans who are homeless and on the streets, and the Liberal government has withheld funding for veterans who are desperately in need.
Veterans took an oath to serve their country. They were ready to die for their country. Veterans with PTSD need help. They are not ready to be systematically eliminated by the government.
I mentioned something earlier about opening Pandora's box. Medical assistance in dying cannot be undone. I grew up in a single-parent home, and my mother suffered from postpartum depression. She had tough days, and there were days when she did not want to leave her bed. As a young child, I witnessed this, but every night has its morning, and there were people there for her. Whether it was family, friends or the local church, people gathered round. They were there to help.
Many people call this hope, and hope comes in different forms. To offer MAID, we take away that hope. Let us not take away hope for people who want help. Let us show compassion and care.
I ask this House, “What is the most valuable commodity in Canada?” Many will say it is minerals, some will say fertile grounds and some will say our abundant and clean energy. I would argue that it is the people of this great country.
The people of this country are the most valuable commodity we have. The potential of our country lies in its people. Let us not devalue a person who is in need of help because they are suffering from mental health issues, suffering from PTSD, suffering from depression or suffering from anxiety. These are the people who need hope.
I am not prepared to give up on people who need our help, because people did not give up on my mother. I am motivated by first-hand experience, and because I have a vested interest in the next generation, this is important to me. When I started out in politics to serve my community, I asked myself these four questions, which I will ask my colleagues here. What kind of kids do we want living in our communities? What kind of community produces that kind of kid? What kind of leadership produces that kind of community? What kind of people provide that leadership?
I believe in hope, and I want to send the right message to the people of Canada: They are valued; they mean something. I also want to send the right message to the next generation, an important message: Times may get tough, but there is hope.
I will be voting in favour of the bill, but I hope the government reconsiders its position on MAID.
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Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate is that we are actually dealing with this in the veterans committee. These are veterans who served our country and were willing to put their lives on the line. These are veterans who served with honour and who care about the fabric of this nation.
Whether they have served in Croatia, like my cousin has, or whether they have served in Afghanistan or in some other theatre of operation, they come back and they find it difficult to integrate into society.
Instead of keeping them out of society, we need to integrate them into society. Being offered MAID as the first option is unacceptable, in my opinion.
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Mr. Speaker, I would point out that it is unacceptable. That should not be the first option for a veteran when they are looking for help. We heard the testimony of a serving veteran who contacted Veterans Affairs saying that he wanted some help. He wanted to reach out before he got out of the military and that option was offered to him. That is unacceptable for someone who is serving in the military at this point.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague and I agree on a great deal. My disappointment and my first-hand account of what I have seen in Veterans Affairs is disappointing, because the push-back has been from veterans with PTSD who want hope and who want to live.
I appreciate the question that has been brought forward.
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