Thank you, Madam Chair.
I will be quick, as I have only six minutes.
I first want to say to all the witnesses that I am very sensitive to their plea for better care. It is essential to continue calling for this. As I have already said several times, deficiency, whatever kind it may be, does not have to lead to a disability. A disability is a social issue, but a deficiency is not. So I am very sensitive to this fight and to what you have told us today.
However, the terms must be defined. Mr. Racicot, I really like the name of your network, Living With Dignity. It seems to me that living with dignity is above all about having the ability to exercise at any time our freedom of choice, our free will, our capacity for self-determination, especially in medical decisions. The idea is to be able to give free and enlightened consent without anyone affecting it.
That said, I have seen two issues in your brief's conclusion, and I will read to you the penultimate paragraph:
This legislative project, like those that paved the way for euthanasia in this country, gives the false impression that a person's dignity is essentially dependent on his or her autonomy. By administering medical assistance in dying to the person who requests it, one would supposedly respect his or her dignity (a dignity, however, that is inherent in every person, irrespective of their degree of autonomy). In such a discourse, it is implied that in order to die with dignity one must necessarily die earlier, from a death that is administered, chosen and above all anticipated. What a sad state of affairs.
It is indeed a sad state of affairs. However, the issue is that the Quebec Superior Court itself struck down legislation currently in force that stems from former Bill C-14 and evoked the same reasons—that it was forcing the individual to commit suicide, to put an end to their life before they had even reached their own tolerance threshold, which was violating the individual's right to life.
It should be pointed out that the autonomy discussed here is not physical in nature. I hope that is not what you are referring to. In fact, physical autonomy is only a condition fostering moral autonomy. Psychological autonomy is a necessary condition. When an individual loses their cognitive abilities, they can make no moral, practical or adequate judgment, so they cannot provide their free and enlightened consent.
You will agree with me that physical deficiency has nothing to do with autonomy, as defended here, in this bill. I hope you will not confuse all this.