QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying
March 2, 2022
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Senator Gold, we are now in our fifth month of the new Parliament. A Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying remains unformed. As you know, senators in this chamber are particularly interested in this committee. It was our amendment that saw to its formation. Interestingly enough, it was also a Senate amendment that foresaw that there would be a delay after an election. We had a solution for that. The government saw fit to delete and not accept.
So here we are in the situation that the Senate, in its wisdom, saw coming and we’re stuck.
What’s the hold up, sir? And what, if anything, do you intend to do about it?
Thank you for the question, senator. The Government of Canada recognizes that this is an important issue. Issues related to medical assistance in dying, or MAID, remain to be explored. With respect, it was Parliament that chose not to accept the amendment — if you’ll allow me to underline that point — because in a minority Parliament the government needs the support of others.
All decisions on committee formation, of course, rest — including timing, process and focus — with Parliament. I would like to advise the chamber my understanding is that discussions are under way. I have made representations on an ongoing basis with my counterparts underlining the importance to the Senate but also to the country for this to be moving forward.
I’ve been assured by the government that it’s committed to supporting the parliamentary review of MAID legislation. It looks forward to the review, as well as reviewing the findings and recommendations of the expert panel expected on March 17.
