Provencher Conservative MP Ted Falk says the Liberal government has largely ignored amendments to the assisted dying bill that were proposed by a Parliamentary committee. Falk says he was disappointed in the way the government responded to the amendments last week.

Ted Falk"For the most part, any amendment that was substantive, that would have actually provided additional safeguards and protections for people, especially vulnerable people, protections for our health care workers and institutions, those were all completely disregarded by the Liberals. And they just forged ahead, basically, with the document that they had presented to committee with come clerical-type amendments."

Falk says the government did add a section to the preamble of the Bill which says the legislation does not compel anybody to provide the service. But he adds that is not sufficient protection. And he says there were some other good amendments that were disregarded.

"We wanted amendments like a complete palliative care consultation prior to physician-assisted suicide just to ensure that people who have requested physician-assisted suicide are aware of their options. We heard at committee that, often, accessibility has been a problem for people when it comes to palliative care and we think proper palliative care would actually address a lot of the need for folks who are considering physician-assisted suicide, that's if they can get the proper end-of-life treatment."

Falk notes the Speaker of the House has announced the amendments will be considered again at Third Reading and he is hopeful they will yet make it into the Bill.

"He says it's a significant enough issue that we should consider the amendments that were brought to committee and rejected by the Liberals, that the House should have the opportunity to consider them. The Liberals have indicated it will be a free vote and so I'm hoping some of these amendments will get consideration ."