St. Albert – MP Michael Cooper (St. Albert-Edmonton) is deeply concerned that the Liberal government in last week’s budget reneged on an election commitment to invest in palliative care. Cooper, who served as Co-Vice Chair of the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying is particularly concerned about the lack of funding now that Physician-Assisted Dying is a reality in Canada.
“Access to palliative care is an essential part of end-of-life decision-making,” said Cooper. “Unfortunately, many Canadians, including vulnerable Canadians, do not have access to palliative care. There was unanimous agreement from the witnesses who addressed the issue, and from the Committee, of the need for a pan-Canadian strategy on palliative care with dedicated federal funding. By failing to provide funding, the Liberals have broken a key election commitment and ignored a key recommendation of the Committee, not to mention the call for action from all major stakeholders, including the CMA.”
On Tuesday March 22nd, the Liberals introduced their 2016 federal budget. The Budget confirms that the Liberals are raising taxes, and despite spending nearly $30 billion in borrowed money, the Liberal budget has no clear plan to help get unemployed Canadians back to work. “The Liberals are already raising taxes on personal savings, workers and entrepreneurs,” said Cooper. “What’s worse is that this massive deficit spending spree does not include any funding for vulnerable Canadians, specifically those contemplating end-of-life options.”
