I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number seven of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying.
Pursuant to the order of reference of the Senate chamber adopted on February 26, 2026, and the order of reference of the House of Commons adopted on February 13, 2026, the special joint committee is meeting to study the eligibility of medical assistance in dying for those whose sole condition is mental illness.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. I would like to confirm that the sounds tests were done successfully.
Before we continue, I will ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines written on the cards on the table.
I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and members.
First, please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking.
For those on Zoom, at the bottom of your screen, you can select the appropriate channel for interpretation: floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.
This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through me, the chair.
For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.
Before we begin, I'll remind you that for the last hour today, we will meet in camera to give drafting instructions to our analysts for our report.
Now, we welcome our witnesses today. All of them are joining us all the way from Holland.
I believe you may have a World Cup team that's coming over here. Until then—until we actually oppose each other on the field—we're friends.
I would like to welcome Dr. Jim van Os, professor of psychiatry; Dr. Wilbert van Rooij, another psychiatrist; and Dr. Sisco van Veen, yet another psychiatrist. I'm sorry. That's all the information they sent us.
Try to finish your remarks within five minutes. I will hold up a piece of paper—I don't know whether you'll be able to see it—when there are about 30 seconds left.
To begin, we have Dr. van Os for five minutes, please.