Canada already has in place extremely liberal euthanasia laws. This year, last March, they were set to “be extended to include people suffering from mental health conditions and potentially minors. This was slammed for being reminiscent of the way the Nazis dealt with people with disabilities by a leading academic in the field.”
In an article published by the Associated Press in 2022, “Tim Stainton director of the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship at the University of British Columbia said the country’s uniquely permissive euthanasia laws were, ‘probably the biggest existential threat to disabled people since the Nazis’ program in Germany in the 1930s.'”
“The AP article additionally detailed the story of 61-year-old Alan Nichols who had a history of hearing loss and depression and, according to Nichols’ brother, was unlawfully ‘put to death’ by the Canadian state in 2019. Though Nichols’ family cited a pitiful lack of oversight and gross negligence on behalf of the medical professionals treating him, the Canadian Mounted Police in conjunction with British Columbia’s Health Ministry declined to bring forth any criminal charges.
Nevertheless, the episode, allied to the upcoming expansion of the laws governing euthanasia in Canada in 2023″, raised serious questions.
How did this proceed? Quoting Health Canada:
“Under Canada’s current MAID law, people suffering solely from a mental illness who meet all the eligibility criteria and safeguards would have been eligible for MAID as of March 17, 2024. Important progress has been made to prepare for MAID eligibility for persons whose sole medical condition is a mental illness. However, in its consultations with the provinces, territories, medical professionals, people with lived experience and other stakeholders, the Government of Canada has heard – and agrees – that the health system is not yet ready for this expansion.
That is why today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, who was joined by the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, and the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced legislation proposing to extend the temporary exclusion of eligibility for MAID for persons suffering solely from a mental illness for three years. This extension would provide more time for provinces and territories to prepare their health care systems, including the development of policies, standards, guidance and additional resources to assess and provide MAID in situations where a person’s sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness. It would also provide practitioners with more time to participate in training and become familiar with available supports, guidelines and standards.
This proposed delay is also in line with the recommendations of the Special Joint Committee on MAID (AMAD) in their report MAID and Mental Disorders: The Road Ahead, which was tabled on January 29, 2024. While recognizing that considerable progress has been made in preparing for the expansion of eligibility for persons suffering solely from a mental illness, AMAD recommended that it not be made available in Canada until the health care system can safely and adequately provide MAID for these cases.”