Madam Chair, I would like us to discuss the following motion, notice of which I gave last week:
That, given the importance of the Special Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying's work with regard to the provisions of the Criminal Code and the application thereof, the Committee allocate time as follows to hear witness testimony for each of the components of this study:
a) 12 hours for testimony related to mature minors;
b) 12 hours for testimony related to advance requests;
c) 12 hours for testimony related to mental health;
d) 8 hours for testimony related to palliative care; and
e) 5 hours for testimony related to persons with disabilities;
it being understood that the time already allocated to hear from witnesses at the Committee meetings of April 25 and 28 is taken into account when calculating the number of hours allocated per component.
I would note that it's not the chronology of the components that's important but rather the number of hours.
Madam Chair, it's also understood that, in organizing our work plan, we will have to take into account what the House has recently adopted. That, moreover, is the purpose of this motion. I would note that the committee will be required to table an interim report no later than June 23 on the issue of mental illness as the sole medical condition for requesting medical assistance in dying.
And that's that.