Palliative Care Motion 456 receives near unanimous support in Canadian Parliament

Alex Schadenberg

By Alex Schadenberg

Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Congratulations to Charlie Angus (MP NDP) who successfully steered Motion 456 through parliament. Motion 456 calls for a National Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy in Canada. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) was one of many groups that supported Motion 456. 

Motion 456 is the result of the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care that released its report: Not to be Forgotten: Care of Vulnerable Canadians, on November 18, 2011 that focused on improving: palliative care for all Canadians, suicide prevention strategies and protecting people from elder abuse.

Motion 456 hopes to lead to the creation of a pan-Canadian Palliative and End-of-Life Care strategy that would enable the Provinces, the National government and other important stake-holders, to work together for a common implementation and improvement of palliative and home-based care for all Canadians.

Charlie Angus MP

Charlie Angus responded to the support for Motion 456 with the following media release:

As Canada's ageing population puts unique stresses on our medical system, it is increasingly important that we have a coherent strategy for palliative and end of life care across Canada. 

This is an issue that touches every Canadian and leaves an impact on every single family. When we have good options for palliative care, we can ease the many burdens on families so they are able make these difficult transitions. Where the services are fragmented, too many people fall through the cracks - right when they need support the most. 

We are happy there was all-party support for a Pan-Canadian Strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care as laid out in motion M-456. Together, we must thank the many people and organizations across the country who worked hard to advance this important issue.

EPC recognizes that the federal government already supports the Pallium Foundation of Canada a group that EPC also supports.

It is our hope that every Canadian will receive excellent care in their time of need.

Links to related articles:

- Palliative care motion debated in Canadian Parliament.

- The Federal government is committed to increasing palliative care training.
- Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care offers great hope to Canadians.

Dad’s death brought home the truth about palliative care.

The following article was written by Susan Martinuk and published in the Calgary Herald on April 3. 

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) asks its supporters to contact their Member of Parliament to support Motion 456. Link to the Member of Parliament contact information.

Susan Martinuk

By Susan Martinuk

This past week, the House of Commons spent one hour debating a motion that calls for the federal government to work with the provinces to establish a national palliative care and end-of-life strategy.

An entire hour. That’s rather disappointing given the hours dedicated to silly, unconstructive debate over internal government matters such as hirings and firings.

It appears that much of the government comment during the debate was an attempt to disconnect itself from any obligations in developing such a strategy. Fair enough, perhaps, since the feds have already prepared an in-depth parliamentary report (2011) and a major Senate report (2005). There have also been progress reports, fact sheets and $43 million dedicated to palliative care research.

We don’t need more reports or strategies — we just need action.

Taking the federal government out of the equation leaves the provinces to devise palliative care strategies that best suit their individual health networks, facilities and geography. But it can also be problematic. With no federal incentives for change, the only way to force provincial governments to create palliative care strategies is for people to actively call for their development.

The people who have had to deal with a system that provides little assistance to families of the gravely ill have to speak out for all the families who will soon be in that situation.

I’ve just spent an extended period of time with my father, watching him waste away from cancer.

Last June, my siblings and I determined that he could no longer function on his own and I temporarily moved home to be with him. Based on his condition, we thought it would only be two or three weeks; a month at most. But once I was home, living with him in the empty house where my mom had recently passed away, his health and mental well-being improved. As a result, my two or three weeks became a nine-month journey that ended on Feb. 16.

During that time, we had no access to palliative care or a hospice. In the last weeks of his life, we dealt with a doctor who had recently come to Canada from England. He didn’t touch, examine or even look at my dad. Instead, he spent 10 minutes telling my sister and me about the fabulous palliative care facilities that exist in Britain and his shock at not having such care here. Perhaps he missed the irony that his comments about the lack of available care came as he forgot to look at, acknowledge or care for my father and his palliative condition.

I can’t even begin to discuss the doctor who thought that palliative care meant no care.

Palliative care Motion 456 debated in Canadian parliament

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Charlie Angus

Tuesday April 1, Charlie Angus MP (Timmins - James Bay NDP) had his first hour of debate on his private members motion (M 456) for a National Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy in Canada.

I was fortunate to witness the first hour of debate in Ottawa in the House of Commons. Link to the debate in parliament.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) wants its supporters to contact their Member of Parliament to ask them to support M 456. Link to the Member of Parliament contact information.

Motion 456:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should establish a Pan-Canadian Palliative and End-of-life Care Strategy by working with provinces and territories on a flexible, integrated model of palliative care that: (a) takes into account the geographic, regional, and cultural diversity of urban and rural Canada; (b) respects the cultural, spiritual and familial needs of Canada’s First Nation, Inuit and Métis people; and (c) has the goal of (i) ensuring all Canadians have access to high quality home-based and hospice palliative end-of-life care, (ii) providing more support for caregivers, (iii) improving the quality and consistency of home and hospice palliative end-of-life care in Canada, (iv) encouraging Canadians to discuss and plan for end-of-life care.

Angus, the sponsor of M 456 spoke first to the Motion. He first thanked the many groups and individuals who have supported M 456 from across Canada he stated:

I would like to thank the medical leaders, medical organizations, front-line service providers who are serving people in need, and the social workers, pharmacists, nurses and doctors, for the support that we received. I would also like to thank members of the various spiritual communities of Canada who have supported this motion.

Not to be Forgotten

Angus then acknowledged the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care who published an all-party report on these issue. Angus stated:

I would also like to thank the incredible work of the all-party committee. The Parliament of Canada is known as a relatively toxic place at most times, but members of all parties came together on this vital issue and worked hard. I would like to recognize the members of the Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic parties who worked on the study and wanted to bring forward to Parliament the need for us to establish this pan-Canadian strategy on palliative care. I believe that the motion I am bringing forward is carrying forward the work of this all-party committee.

Angus then explained how Motion 456 came together. He stated:

One of its key recommendations (Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care) is that the committee strongly urged that the federal government re-establish a palliative care secretariat for the sake of developing and implementing a national palliative and end-of-life care strategy. In honour of the work that my colleagues in the other parties and New Democrats did on that committee, we are bringing forward that motion tonight.

Palliative care Motion to be debated in Canadian parliament on Tuesday April 1, 2014.

On Thursday, March 27, Steven Fletcher MP (CPC) introduced private members bills to legalize euthanasia in Canada.

Charlie Angus

On Tuesday, April 1, 2014 Motion 456, that has been sponsored by Charlie Angus MP (NDP), will receive its first hour of debate in the Parliament of Canada. 

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) wants its supporters to contact their Member of Parliament to ask them to support M 456. 
Link to the Member of Parliament contact information.

Email Mr Angus MP (NDP) and tell him that you support M-456. Contact Mr Angus at: charlie.angus@parl.gc.ca.

EPC also supports the recent three year commitment by the Canada's Minister of Health to provide $3 million dollars per year funding to the Pallium Foundation of Canada to train Canadian medical care-givers to provide excellent palliative care for their patients. Link to the article.

Please contact Canada's Minister of Health, Hon Rona Ambrose and thank her for making a three year commitment to the Pallium Foundation of Canada. Link.

The text of Motion 456.

M-456 — Mr. Angus (Timmins—James Bay) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should establish a Pan-Canadian Palliative and End-of-life Care Strategy by working with provinces and territories on a flexible, integrated model of palliative care that: (a) takes into account the geographic, regional, and cultural diversity of urban and rural Canada; (b) respects the cultural, spiritual and familial needs of Canada’s First Nation, Inuit and Métis people; and (c) has the goal of (i) ensuring all Canadians have access to high quality home-based and hospice palliative end-of-life care, (ii) providing more support for caregivers, (iii) improving the quality and consistency of home and hospice palliative end-of-life care in Canada, (iv) encouraging Canadians to discuss and plan for end-of-life care.

M-456 — M. Angus (Timmins—Baie James) — Que, de l’avis de la Chambre, le gouvernement devrait adopter une stratégie pancanadienne de soins palliatifs et de fin de vie en travaillant avec les provinces et les territoires diversité géographique, régionale et culturelle des régions urbaines et rurales au Canada; b) respecte les besoins culturels, spirituels et familiaux des Premières Nations, Inuits et Métis du Canada; c) vise à faire en sorte que (i) tous les Canadiens aient accès à des soins palliatifs et de fin de vie de première qualité à domicile et en établissement, (ii) davantage de soutien soit aà l’élaboration d’un modèle souple et intégré de soins palliatifs qui : a) tient compte de la pporté aux aidants, (iii) la qualité et la cohérence des soins palliatifs et de fin de vie à domicile et en établissement au Canada soient améliorés, (iv) les Canadiens soient encouragés à discuter de soins de fin de vie et de leur planification.

Link to similar articles:

● Canadian government is committed to increasing palliative care training.
● Euthanasia: End of life care hinges on recognizing and treating pain.
● Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care offers great hope to Canadians.