The intention of the government certainly was to ensure that medical assistance in dying would be available across the country. Medical practitioners are as rare as hen's teeth in some parts of the country, including rural and remote areas. If there's a decision taken by the committee to rule out the provision of medical assistance in dying by nurse practitioners, there will be a lot of Canadians effectively denied this service, as was pronounced by the Supreme Court of Canada.
On May 9th, 2016. See this statement in context.