I will speak in French, just to to be quicker and clearer.
I appreciate Mr. Davies' comment. We received some letters. There are even amendments. We're talking about people who provide healthcare. We talked about including certain nurses.
When we try to be more specific, we end up forgetting certain people. If we don't name them, we forget them. We may feel that they're excluded, when this is likely not the case.
The written word remains, but the intentions don't remain. The initial intention will disappear if it's not written. As Mr. Doherty said, the initial intention was to address issues concerning first responders. I think that's what it says.
Ultimately, the bill requires a number of provincial and federal ministers to focus on the issue, participate in a conference, and table a report. I don't think this excludes the addition of people who feel affected by mental health and, in particular, by post-traumatic stress disorder. I think, around the table, we all have the same intention. There is general agreement in this area.
If we intend to broaden the scope of the bill, I think we must carefully choose the sentences, words and terms to amend it. I don't think this will change the essence of the bill. In my view, we don't prepare a bill for only one category of people. We prepare a bill for all Canadians. Currently, some people are more affected by post-traumatic stress issues. However, this doesn't exclude the others.
Unless we say it's exclusively for this category of workers, which isn't the case, we can only agree to include other people and broaden the scope of the bill from the start. I think we need to find a way to do so.
My question is for the clerk, since it's a technical question. Actually, it's a legal question. Would this create obstacles? Can the committee pass amendments, proceed with the legal amendment of a bill, move in the direction suggested by Mr. Davies, and ensure that no one is excluded, but without delaying the process?
I want the clerk's view. What steps must be taken to broaden the group of people concerned and include as many people as possible in the bill without delaying the process?