QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Health
Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying
February 9, 2022
Minister Duclos, as legally required, the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying was formed to address serious issues left unresolved in what was known as Bill C-7. The committee has held only three meetings, two of which were organizational. Then, Parliament prorogued and an election followed.
Minister, could you and your cabinet colleagues, including the Prime Minister, commit to reconvening the committee this month as the clock is ticking on the mandatory reporting date for the committee set for May?
Thank you, senator, for this question. Yes, there are indeed important commitments to be made to ensure that the relatively recent legislation around MAID is appropriately brought forward and implemented in the right way. As you have mentioned, there is further parliamentary and expert work needed to pave the way forward, and in respect to the parliamentary committee’s freedom and agenda, I look forward to benefiting from the committee’s work by doing precisely that.
There have been significant advances on that in the last few years, but there is much more to be done in the next few weeks, months and, probably, years for everybody not only to age but also to die in dignity.
