Evidence of meeting #5 for Medical Assistance in Dying in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was access.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC
Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
I'm sorry. I can speak to that, as I'm one of those members.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC
I want to make my colleague Mr. Cooper aware that when he interrupts a witness, the interpretation stops. The person speaking has to finish their thought before the interpreter can interpret what they're saying. In order to participate in the debate, I need to hear the interpretation. Right now, this isn't a dialogue. It's participation in a committee meeting, and both official languages need to be respected.
Pierre Dalphond
Thank you, Mrs. DeBellefeuille.
Mr. Cooper, give enough time after a question to let the witness complete the answer so that interpretation can be done. Thank you.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Your co-witness, Dr. Green, sits on the Dying with Dignity Canada committee, yet she served as president of CAMAP, and she was involved in the development of the curriculum. Do I have that right?
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
Dr. Green will answer that question.
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
Thank you. My apologies for cutting you off earlier. I appreciate the question.
In the very early days of MAID, there were very few clinicians in this country who were willing to do this work. Those of us who developed expertise in this work were asked to sit on advisory committees for a number of organizations in a number of countries.
Conservative
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
We sit in that capacity—
Conservative
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
We are not there to advise because of ideology.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
It's my time, and she's not going to run out the clock.
The Joint Vice-Chair Hon. Pierre Dalphond
I'm sorry, but maybe give shorter answers, because the time is running.
Thank you, Dr. Green.
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
It's not an ideological appointment. It's done in an advisory capacity—
Conservative
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
—with some of the subject matter experience.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
—in the affirmative that you were.
When I look at Dying with Dignity Canada's clinicians advisory council, Dr. Valerie Cooper and Dr. Tanja Daws were involved in the curriculum update. You were involved in the curriculum update. Erica Maynard and Dr. Osmaan Sheikh were involved in the curriculum update. Dr. Konia Trouton was also involved, and she also served as the past president of CAMAP.
Members of CAMAP's board of directors and individuals directly involved in the development of CAMAP's MAID curriculum were simultaneously serving the leading pro-MAID expansionist activist organization, Dying with Dignity. How do you square that?
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
We're not serving them. We are there as subject matter experts on the topic.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
I would say that CAMAP's claims of being objective and evidence-based are not credible given the direct ties between CAMAP and the leading pro-MAID expansionist activist organization, Dying with Dignity Canada. You have no credibility.
MAID Provider, Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers
I would respectfully disagree.