Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I appreciate the motivation behind Mr. Thériault's amendment. I do take cognizance of the fact that he is pointing out that the 12 months is about which of the two tracks that are specified in the bill to have access to.
However, my concern is that there is no medical dividing line at 12 months, so I think this inadvertently introduces an element of arbitrariness. Also, while it may be difficult for us to decide as legislators what “reasonably foreseeable” means, I think that is the job of clinicians. I think they will do a good job of deciding that.
As well, by putting in the 12 months, we risk prolonging the suffering of some people by forcing them into the second track, as I said, inadvertently. When the goal here is to protect the autonomy of decision-making of patients about the way their lives end and to prevent unnecessary prolonging of suffering, I think we're introducing an element of risk here of doing the opposite. Therefore, I will be opposing the amendment.
Thank you.