THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 25, 2020
(4)
[English]
Pursuant to the order of the Senate of November 17, 2020, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, and with videoconference at 9:34 a.m. (ET), the chair, the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Boisvenu and Campbell (3).
Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Carignan, P.C., Cotter, Dalphond, Dupuis, Gold, P.C., Jaffer, Keating, Kutcher, Martin and Petitclerc (10).
Other senators present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Miville-Dechêne, Moodie and Pate (3).
Participating in the meeting: Shaila Anwar, Deputy Principal Clerk, Joëlle Nadeau and Evelyne Côté, Procedural Clerks, Committees Directorate; Michaela Keenan-Pelletier and Julian Walker, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, Library of Parliament.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, the committee continued its examination of the subject matter of Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying).
APPEARING (by videoconference):
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health.
WITNESSES (by videoconference):
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada:
Julia Beazley, Director, Public Policy.
Christian Legal Fellowship:
Derek Ross, Executive Director and General Counsel.
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:
The Most Reverend William McGrattan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Calgary and Member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Executive Committee.
Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada:
Laurence Worthen, Executive Director.
Canadian Council of Imams:
Refaat Mohamed, President.
Association for Reformed Political Action Canada:
André Schutten, Director of Law and Public Policy.
The United Church of Canada:
Daniel Hayward, Chair, Theology and Inter-Church Inter-Faith Committee.
Living with Dignity:
Alexander King, Chair of the Board (Interim).
Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada:
Fleur-Ange Lefebvre, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer;
Louise A. Auger, Director, Professional Affairs.
Canadian Unitarian Council:
Vyda Ng, Executive Director.
As individuals:
Dr. Mona Gupta, Psychiatrist and Researcher, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Addictions, Université de Montréal;
Jean-Pierre Ménard, Lawyer;
Jean-François Leroux, Lawyer.
Health Canada:
Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister;
Abby Hoffman, Senior Policy Advisor;
Sharon Harper, Director General, Strategic Policy Branch;
Karen Kusch, Senior Policy Analyst, Strategic Policy Branch.
The chair made a statement.
Ms. Beazley, Mr. Ross, Bishop McGrattan and Mr. Worthen made statements and answered questions.
At 10:57 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 11:01 a.m., the committee resumed.
Mr. Mohamed, Mr. Schutten, Mr. Hayward and Mr. King made statements and answered questions.
At 12:01 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 12:35 p.m., the committee resumed.
Ms. Lefebvre and Ms. Ng made statements and answered questions.
At 1:24 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 1:30 p.m., the committee resumed.
Dr. Gupta, Mr. Menard and Mr. Leroux made statements and answered questions.
At 2:41 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 3:01 p.m., the committee resumed.
The minister made a statement and answered questions.
At 4:32 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Mark Palmer
Clerk of the committee