Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I thank Mr. Manly for his continued participation in these committee hearings and this clause-by-clause analysis.
I'm going to be opposing this amendment. There are no objections to the objective that's being pursued. Presenting a comprehensive picture of how medical assistance in dying is being delivered in Canada is important. It's important for monitoring to occur, to collect a range of information, but I believe that the amendments being proposed are actually not needed.
The first part of the amendment is not needed insofar as, if Bill C-7 is enacted, the regulations will be amended to align with the legislation, resulting in the collection and analysis of additional data. In developing those regulations, government is going to consult with a broad range of stakeholders, including the groups representing persons who may be vulnerable.
The second part of the amendment, in my respectful view, is also not necessary, as a federal monitoring system is already designed to analyze and report on available data regarding the protection of persons. I can give you an example of this, Madam Chair, for the benefit of the committee. The practitioner reports on how they determined that the request for medical assistance in dying was voluntary. This data is reported in an annual report.
On that basis, although I agree with the spirit of what the amendment is driving at, I do not think it is necessary and will be voting against it.
Thank you.