Like other members of the committee, I trust medical professionals, but this legislation doesn't leave it to any one medical health professional to make a decision with respect to someone accessing physician-assisted dying. We say two medical professionals. Why? Because we want to mitigate risk. We don't simply say that someone can give an oral request to a physician, trusting that physician to understand the oral instruction. We say it has to be in writing.
In that regard, I believe this amendment is very much in line with other safeguards included in this legislation, that are good safeguards, and I believe this would enhance the legislation. It's not about delay. It's not about referring every patient. It is about ensuring. I believe that most physicians would refer a patient to a psychiatrist. I'm not questioning physicians. I think it does no harm and does a lot of good to be absolutely certain to the greatest extent that we can be that vulnerable persons do not fall through the cracks. I did not hear any evidence to indicate that any physician or any nurse practitioner is equipped to undertake that kind of analysis, so that's why I think this needs to be amended.