Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Edmonton Strathcona for her contributions to this debate and others in the House. The issue of how one treats drug offences is critical, and I appreciate she has put the question to many members speaking today. Obviously, I am painfully aware I am a member of the government, and I am proud to be a member of a government doing the work that is necessary in this regard.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, that is a good question and it aligns with our overall theme of providing support to organizations that help clients struggling with addictions. Our perspective is about harm reduction and about meeting people on their own terms. It is also about not overly criminalizing either the individual or the people who are serving them.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her contributions today and every day in this Parliament. I have three responses. One is that we are responding to all of the Supreme Court determinations with respect to mandatory minimums. Two is that we are repealing all of them with respect to drug-related offences.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country. I want to wish everyone celebrating the first day of Ramadan a very blessed Ramadan Mubarak. It is with pleasure that I speak to Bill C-22, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, just by way of correction, law enforcement had asked us to take the step we are taking with respect to drug diversion in this legislation. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has asked for and endorsed the position we are taking. Given that the member opposite is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, does he recognize that the Correctional Service of Canada indicates that between 2007 and 2017, Black and other racialized offenders were more likely to be admitted to federal custody based on an offence punishable by an MMP, and the same goes for indigenous accused, such that Black individuals were more than twice overrepresented in the prison population and for indigenous people it was sixfold.

Justice  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the federal ombudsman for victims of crime for the progress report on the victims bill of rights. With respect to the question presented by the member opposite, I disagree with the foundation of it. We are listening to the call to take more action on victims' rights.

Justice  Madam Speaker, this case is obviously a troubling one for all members in this House, including Muslim Canadians such as myself. The finding in the decision with respect to consecutive sentences is a matter that is under review by the Government of Canada and by the Department of Justice.

Nowruz  Madam Speaker, the start of spring signals the start of the new year for the Ismaili community. As an Ismaili Canadian serving in the House of Commons, I take great pride in wishing fellow Ismailis across the country, and indeed around the world, Nowruz Mubarak. With the start of the new year, we obviously reflect on the one that has just passed.

Justice  Madam Speaker, yesterday, we moved a very important step closer to passing the critical changes to medical assistance in dying, through Bill C-7. We listened through this process to more than 300,000 Canadians. We heard from countless experts. We spent more than 45 hours of debate on this important legislation.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, earlier the member posed a question for one of my colleagues about associations or groups that support the direction of this legislation. I would put it to him that the Quebec Psychiatric Association has raised valid questions about how this could be handled going forward, not purporting to have all of the answers but at least guiding some of the conversation, as well as Dying with Dignity.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I point out that the issue of discrimination was squarely before the court in Truchon and the findings are exactly the opposite: that not making MAID available to those who are not at the end of life, including persons with disabilities, violated their competence, their autonomy and their dignity.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sarnia—Lambton for her commentary, but I find it is much in the same vein as many of her party colleagues in terms of the level of hyperbole and the terminology that has been used. She has used terms about things being offensive. Many of the members who have spoken this evening are missing some of the fundamental points about this legislation.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, by way of clarification, first, the constant pressure that the member referred to simply does not exist. There is no evidence anywhere in this country of any discipline or criminal prosecutions against any medical practitioner in the entire history of MAID's being available the last five years.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, the member indicated that the message being sent is that persons who are mentally ill are not needed, valued or worthy. What I would reiterate for her is that this issue about persons with disabilities and their competence and autonomy was squarely before the court in Truchon.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, this narrative of abandonment that we are hearing from Conservative interveners in today's debate is a bit concerning. The view of the court and the view of our government is that we are trying to empower individuals to make choices, including difficult choices. I commend to the member opposite the fact that Monsieur Truchon and Madame Gladu were persons with disability who were seeking constitutionally protected access to the MAID regime.