Thank you, Madam Speaker. This weekend saw the passing of Sue Rodriguez in North Saanich, British Columbia. Sue Rodriguez was an advocate of the right to voluntarily end one's life after proper consultation, and after diagnosis of a terminal and debilitating illness.
I've never met the lady, Madam Speaker, but her story has moved many Canadians to re-examine the issue of the right to die in dignity. I think a lot of us know people who have had, in the past, terminal and debilitating illnesses who have taken their lives in the end, but seen an unusual amount of effort placed by the medical profession to keep them alive artificially. It's not, in often cases, a very pretty sight to see loved ones withering away to nothing, being absolutely helpless to do anything. The quality of life they experience, in many people's estimation, is not really representative of their wishes.
Ms. Rodriguez fought this battle with every court that she could use, every means she could use, all the way to the Supreme Court. Only recently the Supreme Court rejected her plea by a very narrow margin, Madam Speaker, by four or five votes on that which set that aside until a new argument is in place. It does raise the issue here -- I know people and I've had loved ones who were in that situation who know of unusual treatment being applied to them after they had given consent to the doctor so they could pass with a certain amount of dignity. I just wanted to make mention of this brave woman's efforts, Madam Speaker.