For MNA Geoffrey Kelley, access to palliative care an issue that 'quickly became personal'

Though he served as Quebec's Native Affairs Minister for several years, another issue has been near and dear to Geoffrey Kelley's heart during his lengthy political career: access to palliative care.

Kelley announced Monday he won't be running in the upcoming provincial election, ending his time with Quebec's Liberal Party.

"It's time to move on," he said at a news conference on the banks of Lac Saint-Louis, in his riding of Jacques-Cartier in Montreal's West Island.

Kelley said working with the West Island Palliative Care Residence was a highlight of his political career.

"[It was] a professional cause that quickly became personal," he said with emotion.

Kelley's parents, Marylee and Fred Kelley, both died in the residence in 2004 and 2008, respectively.

"I think it helped … him to understand what palliative care is all about," said Teresa Dellar, the residence's director. "That it isn't this scary, awful thing."

Kelley went on to become an advocate for the residence, and would try to demystify palliative care in his political life "by telling people what it was and what it wasn't, and just talking about it," Dellar said.

"He's been such a big supporter and a big visionary on palliative care."

Dying and democracy

Another significant experience for Kelley was chairing the committee on Quebec's medically-assisted dying bill, which passed in 2014.

"Over 300 people, mostly ordinary citizens, took part in this extraordinary example of participatory democracy," Kelley said Monday.

He said he was happy to have been able to facilitate a public debate on what he considered to be such an important issue.

Véronique Hivon, a Parti-Québécois MNA who was the vice-chair of that committee, said that despite being from separate parties and holding different political views, she and Kelley worked very well together.

"We were both motivated by democratic ideals, to have the most open debate possible, to hear people … [and] to be able to come to the best results in the public's interest," Hivon said.

Kelley was made minister for native affairs for the first time in 2005, a position he held until 2007.

Despite being re-elected to a fourth term in 2007, he was not re-appointed to Jean Charest's cabinet. He became chair of the social affairs commission and then took on the minister role again from 2011 to 2012 and again in 2014 until now.

The next provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 1.