Thank you, Dr. Forbes, and committee members.
As mentioned, I will speak to the CMA's response on the core elements of this legislation. We certainly welcome questions from the committee today and at any time over the course of your important study.
First, the CMA's position is that the safeguards proposed in Bill C-14 are robust and are aligned with our recommendations. These safeguards include considerations such as patient eligibility criteria, process requirements to request medical assistance in dying, as well as monitoring and reporting requirements.
Second, the CMA supports the legislative objective to recognize that a consistent framework for medical assistance in dying across Canada is extremely desirable.
In addition to these robust safeguards, the enactment of definitions for medical assistance in dying, as well as what constitutes a grievous and irremediable medical condition in federal legislation, is essential to the achievement of a consistent, pan-Canadian framework.
Our principles-based recommendations reflect on the subjective nature of what constitutes enduring and intolerable suffering, as well as a grievous and irremediable condition, as well as the physician's role in helping make an eligibility determination.
We also support the objective to support the provision of a full range of options for end-of-life care and to respect always the personal convictions of health care providers. To this end, we encourage the federal government to very rapidly advance its commitment to develop a pan-Canadian end-of-life coordinating system. Ideally, this should be in place by June 6.
The CMA is aware that one jurisdiction has made such a system available to support connecting patients who qualify for assisted dying with willing providers. Until this system is available across the country, there may be a disparity of support for patients and practitioners from province to province.
Finally, it is our position that Bill C-14, to the extent constitutionally possible, must respect the personal convictions of health care providers by protecting the rights of those who do not wish to participate in assisted dying or to directly refer a patient to someone who does wish to participate.
We would be very pleased to speak further on this critical issue, one that is also essential for a consistent pan-Canadian framework.
Thank you for your attention.