Canadian Leaders Urge Trudeau Government To Pause Euthanasia For Mental Illness
Health and mental-health ministers in three Canadian territories and several provinces are urging a delay in MAiD for the mentally ill, and seek time for implementation.
A Canadian press report from January 29, 2024 revealed that Health Ministers from several Provinces asked the federal Minister of Health, Mark Holland, to "indefinitely pause" the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness. On January 29, Holland announced that the government would delay the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness.
The Canadian Press reported that:
Health and mental-health ministers from all three territories, along with Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and British Columbia, asked Holland in a letter on Monday to give them more time to collaborate. “It is critical that all jurisdictions, health authorities, regulators and (medical assistance in dying) practitioners have sufficient time to implement these safeguards and to address capacity concerns that are expected to result from the expansion,” it read.
The expansion date set for March doesn’t provide jurisdictions with enough time to get prepared, the letter said.
“Therefore, we encourage you and federal Justice Minister Virani to indefinitely pause the implementation of the expanded (medical assistance in dying) eligibility criteria to enable further collaboration between provinces, territories, and the federal government.”
While the Provincial Health Ministers called for an indefinite pause the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is urging the federal government to reverse the legislation and reject euthanasia for mental illness.
The Canadian Press report also stated that the federal Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to cancel the plan to extend euthanasia to people with mental illness while the NDP are calling on the Liberals to put more mental health care supports in place before expanding euthanasia to people with mental illness.
EPC is urging its supporters to tell their Member of Parliament to oppose euthanasia for mental illness.
Alex Schadenberg is the executive director and international chairman of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.