Thank you, Mr. Moore. That's an important question. You and I have both been through the committee process on Bill C-7. I appreciate the work that we've all done on that.
Let me say, first of all, that if someone is suffering from a mental disorder, there is help. People should reach out for help. That is critically important to underline at the outset.
The current MAID regime contains balances within it. Those reports are troubling to me. It is up to the medical profession to ensure that those standards are met. It's up to the medical profession to underline that MAID is about individual choice for people who qualify under the criteria that are there. That's something that needs to be underlined, because it seems that in some of the reports that has been downplayed.
I underscore that when those criteria are not met, and the regime has not been followed, there's a criminal act there. Then it's up to the police to investigate.
A great deal of work has been done on mental illness since I made that statement in 2021. The expert committee has come up with a report and a set of guidelines. A great deal of work has been done at the federal and provincial levels to ensure that for the vast minority of cases—and I underscore “minority of cases”—where, according to those guidelines that are being developed through the expert committee, someone might be eligible for MAID solely with the condition of mental disorder, those safeguards will be in place.
I understand the concerns, and I understand that the concerns would change. I'm committed to continue to work with all of you to improve those standards as we move forward, to improve the communication of those standards so that we have clarity, and to work with provinces to ensure that they have the appropriate supports in place to make these provisions operational.