Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Demontigny, you concluded your testimony by saying that it was an honour for you to meet members of Parliament and senators. I'd like to tell you that this honour is reciprocal. It's not in fact the first time I've heard you, but it's the first time that I've been so deeply affected and overwhelmed. Perhaps it's because of closer proximity.
You used some very powerful words, including, “my vanishing brain and my troubled heart”, and said that you didn't want to be imprisoned in your body.
I'm trying to determine what would be the best conditions for someone suffering from a major degenerative neurocognitive illness to be able to live as long as possible, with the assurance of knowing that their wishes would be complied with, even when they are no longer able to state their point of view, and that everything possible will have been done to allow a proxy, together with the care team, to trigger the process, even if the care team says they do not think the time has yet arrived and that there is no hurry.
What I find staggering this evening is your telling us that you wouldn't wait until you were unable to make this decision, and that you would rather shorten your life. As a legislator, I'd like to be competent enough to prevent you from having to do that.
Why, at the moment, do you believe you would have to do it before becoming incapable of making decisions?