I want to thank Minister Raybould and Minister Philpott for coming to committee and for the work they've done on this file to date.
This whole issue of physician-assisted suicide is an issue of ethics and an issue of morality in addition to being a health issue. I think when we take ethics and morality out of it, it becomes much easier to deal with, but the fact is we can't do that. We cannot take ethics and morality out of the issue.
We've seen a decline in our country over some of our moral values. We've seen an obliteration of the value of life from conception to birth, and now we're seeing a diminishing value of life in sickness and at the end of life during sickness and for the elderly.
I think we're on a slippery slope, and I think we need to recognize that. I think parts of your bill are an attempt to do that, although I think the bill could be strengthened.
One of the things that caught me right away, which I know was a term used by the Supreme Court in the decision it made, was the term “grievous”. Was any consideration at all given to using the term “terminal” in substitution for “grievous”? Either minister can respond.
Minister Raybould.