Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Monsieur Gélinas, I'd like to turn to you.
I read a brief from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, and they noted that Canada has one of the highest rates of suicide by firearms in the developed world. Some 75% of Canada's firearms deaths are in fact by suicide. That completely eclipses deaths by homicide. Of course, they note too that guns are a particularly lethal method. They have a lethality rate of over 90%, so nine out of 10 suicide attempts via firearm are successful.
This goes into the theme of the red flag law. The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians has consistently called for a point of care mechanism to allow emergency physicians to directly report to police authorities any individual with a medical condition that substantially increases the risk of inappropriate firearms use and the potential for firearm injury and death.
In your experience, what is the relationship like between the police and medical personnel currently? What are your thoughts on what they are asking for? In what ways do our laws need to be bolstered so that physicians can more effectively communicate to police that someone might be at risk of using a firearm, either against themselves or against another person?