Sean Fraser

The legislation will also grant access to MAID to people suffering from an incurable illness who have given advance consent

This change will be reflected in the Criminal Code

The government will move forward with the committee’s recommendation to exclude people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness from receiving MAID indefinitely

This second issue is extremely important to communities of people who've been diagnosed with very, very serious illnesses [that] may cause them to lose capacity subsequently.

Canada has made a decision not to move forward with the expansion that is scheduled in the Criminal Code of medical assistance in dying in circumstances where mental illness is the sole basis.

Lack of consensus over when mental illness is irremediable

Very real concerns about people who live in communities with inadequate access to mental-health services

When I hear that there is a lack of consensus in the medical community about the irremediable nature of certain mental illnesses, that gives me real cause for concern

These are not easy decisions but we believe they will be the correct ones

While there is not a perfect consensus on this issue, we believe this is the correct approach at this particular time

There was a significant canvassing of opinions… and we felt confident that we were in a position to make a decision without simply kicking the can down the road.

I appreciate that I'm asking for patience, which can be hard at times. Look, it's a serious issue. I want to make sure I take the opportunity to line things up the appropriate way.

I feel confident that we've heard a range of different views in the development of the policy process and will be able to share next steps tomorrow.

The truth-seeking function of this court and courts across Canada could never be more important.

If we expect to preserve national unity, we must constantly improve the public's belief that the systems that we enjoy serve their interests over time.

Our ambition can’t be limited by our provincial borders. We have an opportunity to transform our enormous potential — at a time when the world is changing — into prosperity.

I’ll reiterate that the stats are certainly encouraging news, and I would say it reflects the hard work of law enforcement across the country who are working every day to keep our communities safe.

Working with law enforcement and provincial partners is more effective than trying to scare people for votes.

Our responsibility is to make sure Canadians can trust their justice system, and that means, in rare cases, returning cases to the courts for new information to be considered.

My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts.

AI is rapidly changing the world and the right path forward will involve careful steps where we use new tools to ensure that we can deal with backlogs and systems to ensure that we’re reducing the reliance on taxpayers’ money to deliver…

The government will take the next few weeks to review it before responding with a decision.

Importantly to me, I’m also going to be reviewing the witness testimony upon which those recommendations were based.

We’ve taken a major step forward,” he added. “And the reason why we were able to do it is because we’ve done it together.