Speaking to the amendment as amended, I didn't hear much testimony in this regard. It seems the very opposite of a safeguard. I realize this is a moving target, because we're all hearing about this new language and getting a translation of it in English and French in real time.
We've heard how MAID providers, as Mr. Garrison said, are enthusiastic about removing the 10-day reflection period, while palliative care doctors are in favour of maintaining it and having a reflection period. Persons with disabilities are in favour of having a reflection period. Here we have a situation where the legislation requires that there be “a written opinion confirming that the person meets all of the criteria set out in subsection (1)”, and that be provided by someone with expertise in the condition the person is suffering. What this amendment would do is say the MAID provider would get a written opinion from a medical practitioner or a nurse practitioner confirming the person meets the requirement.
At first blush, the way I take that, the safeguards were here under Bill C-14, and now we're moving them down in Bill C-7. This amendment just chips away at another safeguard.
We've already discussed, on a previous amendment of ours, when death is not reasonably foreseeable, requiring someone with expertise in the person's condition to be one of the two physicians.
Here again, we're putting the MAID provider in the position of the go-between, between the patient and someone with expertise in the patient's condition. To me, that's not acceptable, and I would be voting against amendment NDP-2 as amended by the government.