Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for their testimony.
Mr. Belanger, I'm a member who represents Akwesasne, the Mohawk community in my riding. Having been made aware by the grand chief, I know that there is indeed a lack of social and health services—not only for mental health, but across the broad field of health care—in the communities. Above all, there are substance use problems due to opioid addiction. These are very acute problems. We have discussed this in our area, in our community, and we deplore the fact that indigenous communities aren't better supported to deal with these significant health issues.
In all provinces, including Quebec, there is also a lack of funding and support in all health care sectors. That's why we would have liked to see today's economic statement include some new investments in health care for people who need it in the communities, as well as in provincial public services. We were disappointed to see that there weren't any. We have even been told that transfers to the provinces for health and social services will be reduced over the coming years.
I can't disagree with you that there's a lack of services, but we still have to address medical assistance in dying. I think you're using the word “euthanasia”. I don't know if that's a misinterpretation, but in our clinical language, legally speaking, we're talking about medical assistance in dying, not euthanasia. Medical assistance in dying is a request that comes from an individual in their own right who chooses a way to die with dignity. There's palliative care, among other things. Medical assistance in dying involves a number of types of care. Lethal injection is just one type of care available as part of medical assistance in dying, so it isn't imposed. I don't see it as a type of care being imposed on a community, but as an option that individuals in their own right can accept.
I'll move on to my questions now. Forgive me for not having listened to all the previous testimony, since I'm not a permanent member of this committee, but I truly have a desire to better understand and learn.
Are there many people in your communities who have an incurable and persistent illness, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis? In your communities, do people turn to medical assistance in dying to relieve their suffering and die with dignity, or is it a type of care that you don't ask for because of your culture or your way of approaching life?