Mr. Chair, Madam Chair, vice-chairs, members of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, thank you for allowing me time to speak today.

My name is Nancy Guillemette. I am a Coalition avenir Québec MNA and I represent the electoral district of Roberval. I chaired the proceedings of the Select Committee on the Evolution of the Act respecting end-of-life care.

As you undoubtedly know, the Act respecting end-of-life care came into force in Quebec in 2015. Since then, the Commission sur les soins de fin de vie has monitored requests for medical assistance in dying. Quebec society is thus able to monitor changes in the number of deaths and have a realistic picture of the situation, and make sure that the requirements for administering medical assistance in dying are met. We can also assess and better understand the suffering of people who obtain medical assistance in dying.

In order for Quebec to continue to progress in this area, the Select Committee on the Evolution of the Act respecting end-of-life care, the transpartisan committee that I chaired, was created in March 2021. The select committee's mandate was to examine the issues related to extending medical assistance in dying to persons who are incapable of caring for themselves and those who are suffering from mental disorders.

In the course of our work, which represented over 200 hours of consultations and discussions, we met nearly 80 persons and organizations. There was also an online consultation that allowed Quebeckers to express their views. Our work was guided by three broad questions. First, may persons who are not capable of consenting to care obtain medical assistance in dying, in particular by making an advance directive? Second, should persons whose only medical condition is a mental disorder have access to medical assistance in dying? If so, what criteria should apply to extending access to medical assistance in dying to such persons?

The select committee submitted its report on December 8, 2021. It is important to note that the 11 recommendations in the report were made unanimously. They reflect how the public's perceptions of medical assistance in dying in Quebec have evolved.

The members of the select committee recommended that persons with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity be able to make an advance request for medical assistance in dying. The recommendations also sought to guide and circumscribe the concept of free and informed decision, clarify the role of the trusted person who would communicate the sick person's request when the time came, and guide the intervention and support the doctor.

However, the select committee members noted that there was no social consensus concerning the incurable and irreversible nature of mental disorders. We therefore recommended that access to medical assistance in dying not be expanded to persons whose only medical condition is a mental disorder. The select committee members were of the opinion that the subject is much too important not to obtain social consensus.

The Government of Quebec acted on the select committee's report by introducing a bill, in May 2022. The bill proposes that persons who have a diagnosis of a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity, and persons with a neuromotor disability, be given medical assistance in dying. The bill refers to neuromotor disabilities, but, since the select committee did not consider that subject, I will not address it today.

Unfortunately, parliamentarians did not have time to complete the parliamentary committee's work before the election was called in Quebec. The bill is therefore to be reintroduced in the new legislature, the one that is starting now.

Quebec has always been a leader in the vanguard of medical assistance in dying and end-of-life care. We want to continue to progress, but we want there to be a consensus among the Quebec public.

Thank you for your attention.

I am now prepared to answer your questions.