When I presented to the panel in the fall, I actually told them that when we talked about when we leap over and become an adult and that sort of thing, that wasn't based on any great science. Our pediatric palliative community said that you can drive at 16, you can drink at 19, you can join the military, and 21 was that last point across the threshold of adulthood. It wasn't based on anything other than feeling that it was the age of consent.
There's a lot of debate and discussion about the younger terms. I do think that we would have a problem with young teenagers grappling with what they have to grapple with, but that's what we put in our submission. It's not based on any huge science.
With regard to the term “physician-hastened death”, one of our colleagues, the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians, which is one of our partner organizations, as well as most of their members and my members, felt that the term “physician-hastened death” played into the idea that palliative care does not hasten death. It sort of signifies that. People who work in palliative care do assist in death and dying, but they're not actively ending somebody's life, so they felt that the term was interesting.
We've been very hesitant. You may notice that our submission said “physician-assisted” death and we're using the term “hastened” right now. We're waiting to see what the legislation says, because I think whatever the legislation decides in June will be what we all have to call it. Right now we're in this period of transition, but the hastened death piece resonated with the palliative care community.