Welcome to the second panel this evening.
We have the pleasure of having with us Dr. Melissa Andrew, professor of medicine in geriatrics at Dalhousie University and with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, as well as Mr. Michael Bach, managing director, Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society.
We also have Dr. Georges L'Espérance, neurosurgeon and president of the Quebec Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, or AQDMD.
Welcome to you all.
We will begin with opening statements from each of you in the order in which I named you. You will have five minutes. That will be followed by a question period.
Please wait until I give you the sign to speak. Speak slowly and clearly. Try to stay within the time limits. You may speak in the official language of your choice, English or French; we have that translation capability.
If there is a problem, let me know. We'll interrupt proceedings until we can sort that out.
With that, I would like to invite Dr. Melissa Andrew to start us off with a five-minute opening statement.