Nov. 24 – MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN DYING AND MENTAL ILLNESS: A Special Forum on the Escalation of MAiD in Canada
Early this year, Parliament passed Bill C-39, a one-year delay of the expansion of medical assistance in dying to make Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) available for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. Conservative Members of Parliament voted in favor of this delay because it is better than the alternative – the immediate expansion of MAiD to mentally ill patients against the advice of many mental health professionals.
With a deadline of March 2024 for the expansion to automatically take place, my colleague Ed Fast, MP for Abbotsford, introduced Private Member’s Bill C-314. This bill would have amended the Criminal Code to state definitively that a mental disorder would not be considered a ‘grievous and irremediable medical condition’ eligible for MAiD. Sadly, on October 18, 2023, this bill was defeated by just 17 votes.
As the March 2024 deadline is swiftly approaching, several of my colleagues and I will be hosting a public forum in our community to raise awareness about this issue, discuss the current state of mental healthcare in Canada, and explore pathways forward.
Please join us on November 24th, 2023, at 6:30 PM at the Dunnville Legion, Branch 142 (305 Queen Street, Dunnville)
Dr. Leslyn Lewis,
Member of Parliament for Haldimand-Norfolk