Thank you.
Thank you, Senator, for all the work you have done and for your very moving story about how you got to this place.
I do feel it's important to reaffirm how shocked we all are that the procedure of forced sterilization still occurs in modern times, but also, having been a medical practitioner for most of my career, I want to make sure that those organizations that are expressing concerns with this bill have a chance to be responded to. I think the main concerns I've read about from such organizations as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Federation of Medical Women of Canada.... They are concerned that introducing this as a Criminal Code provision may have a chilling effect on the consent procedure around sterilization.
You and I had a brief chat. I know that section 45 covers this, but there is also a concern that section 45 hasn't really been tested in this circumstance. I'd certainly like you to speak to that and give your thoughts on how you think this concern should be addressed.