First of all, you have to understand the meaning of the Quebec legislation. I was very closely involved in that process. The objective of that piece of legislation is to regulate all of end-of-life care. That legislation does not come under criminal law, but under health. It covers all end-of-life care practices, including palliative care, physician-assisted death, advance medical directives, and so on. The legislation's objective is slightly different from that of the bill we are debating.
Before us is a bill that aims to amend the Criminal Code in the context of physician-assisted death, which was more broadly defined by the Supreme Court than by the Quebec legislation. In terms of equivalence, this bill is not the federal counterpart to the Quebec legislation—that much is clear. The Quebec act has a more restrictive objective.
Furthermore—and I'm saying this with all due respect for the federal legislator—many measures found in Bill C-14 are cut and pasted from the Quebec legislation in certain aspects. That's adequate, as that piece of legislation was not misguided, either. However, the issue you are raising seems relevant to me. To the extent possible, we have to avoid regime duality and Quebec citizens having to deal with two legal standards regulating their decisions once the legislation has been adopted.
If someone wants to have access to assisted suicide, it's impossible under the provincial standard, but it could be possible under the federal legislation. The procedure is slightly different. It is probably important to hold back a bit by stating that the Government of Canada can exempt a province from certain formalities or give it some flexibility when it comes to specific aspects of the legislation. However, in terms of the substance, it cannot go too far, as the intention must be compatible with the Supreme Court's decision, as well as with section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the rules we are currently establishing in committee.