The Dying with Dignity commission of the Quebec National Assembly has issued its report after two years of public hearings, consultations with experts and visits to countries where there is now some experience with a range of options on ways of dying.1 The commission and the Charest government deserve equal praise for their thoughtful report and their courage in addressing this controversial topic. The principal theme of the report holds that palliative care has come of age and is adequate to meet the needs of most dying people; however, it is underprovided, particularly in remote and rural areas.2 A second important theme concerns "Vaide medicale a mourir" — medical assistance to die. On this subject, the report calls for a change in thinking, arguing that there will still be cases where suffering is great, irreversible and unrelievable, such that the only option is actively helping a person to die.
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