Medical Assistance in Dying Committee on June 6th, 2022

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

I'm not going to get into an argument with you, Mr. Cooper. Your colleague must leave.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Well, I think, Mr. Chair, you're being very unreasonable, and again—

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

I'm not going to sit here and argue with you.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

—you're [Inaudible—Editor] typical Liberal [Inaudible—Editor]—

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Your colleague needs to leave. Are you going to call on your colleague to—

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

I encourage him not to leave.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

Does he have the option to put a mask on now?

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Yes. He has the option of putting a mask on, which is what I asked him to do. He said no.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

I would prefer that he stay.

[A voice]

We're all also disabled. I would really recommend that you put it on for our sake, if not for anyone else's.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Well, then, maybe all of us should put on a mask, if that's the case.

[A voice]

Fair enough. Put it on [Inaudible—Editor].

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

I'm happy to put on a mask as well, but your colleague needs to put on a mask. Those are the rules of the Board of Internal Economy. I'm not going to bend on that.

[A voice]

You're subject to different rules [Inaudible—Editor]. That's just the way it is. Put on your mask.

[A voice]

He doesn't have parliamentary privilege.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

[Inaudible—Editor] better put on your mask.

Let the double standard be noted.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

You bet I'll note what you have said tonight, Mr. Cooper. You're not following the rules of the Board of Internal Economy.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

That's quite a double standard.

[The Joint Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Please, let's carry on.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

We next have Mr. Maloney for five minutes.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I will start by apologizing to our two witnesses for your having to see what just happened. We're here to talk about very serious issues, issues that are dearly important to both of you, and it's unfortunate, to put it mildly, that we're having this other discussion in your presence—or at all—but so be it.

Thank you, both of you, for being here. Your evidence was very powerful and compelling. I have a number of questions.

First, just so I am clear—and my question is for both witnesses—are you opposed to medically assisted dying in any circumstance or just in specific circumstances?

I'll start with you, Ms. Mehdi.

[Ahona Mehdi]

As I said, I do believe in the right to choose, but I don't think this is a choice when you are forced to pick between two egregious options, so when we are not funding things like home care—

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Okay. I'll get into that, but my question is very simple.

So there are circumstances where you feel it's appropriate and acceptable?

[Ahona Mehdi]

Yes.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Mr. Henry, what about you, sir? Do you feel the same or are you opposed to it generally?