It is a very difficult place for us, as parliamentarians, of course, to make sure that those who are responsible to administer the system feel confident that they have all the systems in place. I believe, personally, that it is prudent for us to grant this extension so there is no doubt that the system is available across the country with the equity that we want to be sure of.
I give a fair bit of credence to the letter that is before us, which you received from seven provinces and three territories. The part that got my attention is, “It is critical that all jurisdictions, health authorities, regulations and MAID practitioners have sufficient time to implement these safeguards and to address capacity concerns that are expected to result from the expansion of MAID eligibility. The current March 17, 2024 deadline does not provide sufficient time to fully and appropriately prepare all provinces and territories across Canada”.
How much was that an influence in your decision to bring forward this particular piece of legislation?