It may surprise some that it is the most Catholic province in Canada that is leading the debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Public hearings on the right to die with dignity get under way in Quebec this week.

It's a bold initiative, but one that will likely not lead to any immediate change in Canadian law -- especially with the Conservatives holding sway in Ottawa. Nevertheless, it's a debate that should happen across Canada as the boomer generation faces its mortality.

Quebec's College of Physicians has said euthanasia should be considered in the case of "imminent or inevitable death" if the patient consents.

There are, of course, fears that any such move might lead to a slippery slope of "persuasion" in a drive to save health-care costs. But the likelihood of highly trained and ethical doctors somehow being transformed into unfeeling creatures of the state seems farfetched.

As for the right to die, many will recall the case of Sue Rodriguez, smitten with Lou Gehrig's disease, who was denied the right to kill herself by the Supreme Court of Canada in a narrow 5-4 decision in 1992. She killed herself anyway two years later and her case sparked the last big debate in Canada on assisted suicide.

It's time for another. And, since any federal government would want to follow rather than lead its people on this emotional issue, it would be better if a national forum for feedback could be established.

There are no easy answers, but some people do, we believe, have the right to an easier death.