I was fortunate enough to participate directly in those consultations. I think Dr. Janz has already suggested and indicated that there was very much a predetermined outcome. Given that we were extremely nervous about that predetermined outcome, we invited members of the vulnerable persons standard community to submit duplicate copies of their questionnaire submissions to us so we could tabulate what we call the “voices from the margins”. I would point to—and I could submit to the committee separately—the report we compiled with essentially an overwhelming degree of concern and alarm at the direction Bill C-7 was heading with the removal of the requirement for the reasonable foreseeability of natural death. Given the limits of time, I would simply say that it is not a popularity contest; it's not a question for polling when you are considering whether or not to respect the human rights of part of your population. Of course we're are a minority—a significant minority of Canadians but a minority nevertheless. I think our voices need to be given particular attention, and they are in no way reflected in Bill C-7.
On November 10th, 2020. See this statement in context.