Madam Chair, I want to speak in strong support of the amendment put forward by Mr. Manly.
I would note that in the preamble of Bill C-7 there is reference to the fact that “Canada is a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and recognizes its obligations under it, including in respect of the right to life”. I believe this amendment is consistent with that preamble, with that which the government purports the bill seeks to do, which is, among other things, to respect Canada's obligations under that convention.
In that regard, I would note that article 10 of the applicable convention provides that “States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.”
Now, further to that, I would note that the UN special rapporteur, even before the introduction of Bill C-7, raised concerns about Canada's medical assistance in dying regime. To that end, she noted in her statement issued on April 12, 2019, “I am extremely concerned about the implementation of the legislation on medical assistance in dying from a disability perspective”. She then went on to express concern about the absence of alternatives for persons with disabilities.
I believe this amendment speaks to some of those concerns and would go a long way toward guarding against vulnerable persons being induced to make a choice that doesn't fall within their autonomy because they simply feel that they have no other options because of their marginalization.