Mr. Chairman, if I could just summarize where we are as a result of discussions in the last week, suggestions made by some Members. As a result of these discussions, suggestions made in the Standing Committee on Legislation and in committee of the whole, our government is proposing a number of amendments to the bill. These amendments will change the bill in the following ways:

1)There will be a clause added to state that every adult is presumed to be capable of making decisions until the contrary is demonstrated.

2)The court will be required to give special consideration to family relations and the wishes of the person who needs assistance when considering who should be adopted guardian or trustee.

3)If a person is able to make a competent decision with the assistance of others, then there would be no appointment of a guardian or trustee.

4)The court will not make a guardianship or trusteeship order if there is an alternative course of action that is less restrictive of the decision-making rights of the person, and would provide the same benefits as a guardianship or trusteeship order would.

This is a summary of the proposed amendments we will be making during the course of going clause by clause.

I move that the following be added after clause 1(3) of Bill 3 and before the heading "Guardianship":

1.1 For the purposes of this Act, every adult is presumed, until the contrary is demonstrated, to be capable of making decisions about his or her own health care, personal care and well-being and his or her own financial affairs.

Mr. Chairman, I have a motion for clause 2. I move that clause 2(3)(b) of Bill 3 be deleted and the following be substituted:

(b)the ability of the adult, by himself or herself or with assistance, to understand information that is relevant to making a decision concerning his or her own health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene or safety, and to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of a decision based on this information or a lack of such a decision;