Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to speak to the committee on Bill C-39.
I thank all of you for the urgency you have shown in considering this important legislation.
I would also like to thank officials from both Health Canada and the Department of Justice who are here with me this evening. As you all are fully aware, this bill transcends different departments and, therefore, it is critical that I have Health Canada support here this evening in addition to the usual DOJ support.
In March 2021, the previous Bill C‑7, an act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), provided greater eligibility to medical assistance in dying for people whose natural death was not reasonably foreseeable. It also provided for a temporary exclusion to the provision that mental illness could be the sole basis of a request for medical assistance in dying. If no legislative amendments are made, this exclusion will automatically be repealed on March 17, 2023. On that day, medical assistance in dying will become legal in such cases.
Bill C‑39 proposes to temporarily extend the exclusion relating to mental illness for one year up until March 17, 2024.
The main objective of this bill is to facilitate the safe assessment and provision of MAID in all circumstances where a mental illness forms the only basis of a request for MAID. An extension of the exclusion of MAID eligibility in these circumstances would ensure health care system readiness by, among other things, allowing more time for the dissemination and uptake of key resources by the medical and nursing communities, including MAID assessors and providers. It would also give the government more time to meaningfully consider the report of the Special Joint Committee on MAID, or AMAD, which is expected to be tabled by Friday, February 17.
I am confident that a temporary one-year extension will allow us to proceed in a measured and prudent way and will ensure that we get this right. As always, our government remains committed to ensuring that our law reflects Canadians' evolving needs, protects those who may be vulnerable and supports autonomy and freedom of choice.
As I have just explained, the previous Bill C‑7 temporarily excluded access to medical assistance in dying in cases where mental illness was the sole factor. This temporary exclusion is based on the fact that these cases are often complex and that it would be better to have more time to reflect on them.
Over the past two years, much work has been accomplished. The Expert Panel on Medical Assistance in Dying and Mental Illness has conducted an independent review of the protocols, directives and safeguarding measures to be recommended in those cases where mental illness is the basis of a request for medical assistance in dying. The expert panel's report was tabled in Parliament on May 13, 2022.
When it was conducting its parliamentary study, the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying also looked at the provisions of the Criminal Code concerning medical assistance in dying and their application in various contexts, such as that of mental illness. In June 2022, the committee published an interim report containing a summary of the testimony that it had heard or received. Witnesses included psychiatrists and other physicians, as well as people living with a mental illness and representatives of various stakeholder groups. We are looking forward to the special joint committee's final report which will be presented before February 17, which is this Friday.
I commend the expert panel and the special joint committee for their hard and important work. MAID is a very personal and challenging subject, and we are better for their careful study and advice.
In addition to the work of the expert group and the special joint committee over the past two years, the provinces, territories and health care community have been working with Health Canada to ensure system readiness. They have developed resources to support MAID assessors and providers, including clinician education and training. They have developed the necessary policies and practice standards. The work is well under way.
Some provinces likely would have been ready to begin offering MAID for mental illness to eligible and properly assessed patients on schedule in March 2023, but we heard from many that they were not quite ready. An extra year will make sure that everyone is ready and well equipped to make MAID for mental illness available in a way that is prudent and safe.
I'm here to talk to you today about the urgent need to extend the exclusion of MAID for mental illness by one year, but I would be remiss if I did not also take this opportunity to address some misinformation about MAID that I've heard over the past few months. I want to reassure all Canadians and all of you around this table that Canada's MAID regime is safe. The system has extensive checks and balances to make sure that only eligible people who clearly and freely choose MAID can access it.
In 2021, in response to the Superior Court decision in Truchon, former Bill C-7 expanded eligibility to receive MAID to people whose natural death was not reasonably foreseeable. To address the additional complexities of these kinds of cases, we created a separate and even more stringent set of procedural safeguards that must be satisfied before MAID can be provided.
Some of these additional safeguards include a minimum 90-day period for assessing eligibility, during which careful consideration is given to the nature of the person suffering and whether there is treatment or alternative means available to relieve that suffering. This safeguard effectively prohibits a practitioner from determining that a person is eligible to receive MAID in fewer than 90 days.
Another additional safeguard is a requirement that one of the practitioners assessing eligibility for MAID has expertise in the underlying condition causing the person's suffering, or that they must consult with a practitioner who does have that requisite expertise. The assessing practitioners must also ensure that the person is informed of the alternative means available to address their suffering, such as counselling services, mental health and disability support services, community services and palliative care. It's not enough to merely discuss treatment alternatives. They must ensure that the person has been offered consultations with relevant professionals who provide those services or care. In addition, both practitioners must agree that the person gave serious consideration to treatment options and alternatives.
MAID for mental illness poses even more complex challenges. That is why we need to take the time necessary to ensure that the health care system is completely ready before we expand eligibility for MAID to those whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. We recognize that mental illness can cause the same level of suffering that physical illness does.
We are aware that there are people who were waiting to become eligible to receive MAID in March 2023. We recognize that these people are suffering and will be disappointed by an extension of the ineligibility period. We empathize with these individuals.
Nevertheless, I believe this extension is necessary to ensure the safe provision of MAID in all cases where mental illness forms the basis for a request for MAID. We need this extension to ensure that we do not rush the expansion of eligibility and to ensure that we make any changes in a prudent and measured way. Our main priority is to ensure the safe provision of MAID. I'm confident that courts would find this short extension to be constitutional.
Canada has implemented legislation on medical assistance in dying that supports autonomy and freedom of choice while offering protection to the most vulnerable. We believe that the timeframe provided for in Bill C‑39 will be sufficient so that this continues to be the case.
We need to take the time to get this right. The one-year extension will give more time to ensure that the health care system is ready, and more time to meaningfully consider and act on the special joint committee's recommendations.
Merci. I look forward to your questions.