It is of regulatory authorities, indeed. I think this is where the Supreme Court of Canada invited us to balance rights.
We do acknowledge in clinical practice—not just physicians but other health professionals as well—that they have a right of conscience. In fact, one of our members on the expert advisory group, Dr. Sister Nuala Kenny, reminded us that conscience also applies to those who are proponents and are willing to practise physician-assisted death. Their conscience tells them that this is the right thing to do.
We need to be able to ensure that we have a regime that calls on physicians and clinicians to stay closely anchored to what they're called to do in terms of public service. Colleges do have a key role in making very clear the expectations of their members in terms of facilitating access.
It's been very clear in our recommendations, and we're hearing this especially from physicians in palliative care, that an effective transfer of care would be important, but that all physicians and clinicians ought to be able to provide information about all of the options. That doesn't mean that the physician needs to participate in the act of physician-assisted death, but they must be able to provide information on the options and, if necessary, on the basis of conscience, they must facilitate an effective transfer. To do that well, they're going to need others in the system facilitating it.