Canada passes Bill C-7 - permitting euthanasia for mental illness.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Alex Schadenberg

On March 11, the Liberal government, with the support of the Bloc Quebecois (BQ), forced a closure of debate on Bill C-7, Canada's euthanasia expansion bill, and then passed Bill C-7, with the Senate amendment approving euthanasia for mental illness alone, once again with the BQ supporting the Liberals.

On March 17, Canada's Senate passed Bill C-7.

Bill C-7 was introduced in February 2020 as the government's response to the Quebec Superior Court's Truchon decision which struck down the part of the law requiring that a person's natural death be reasonably foreseeable before they could be killed by euthanasia. The government did not appeal the Truchon decision. Bill C-7 goes much further than Truchon required.

You may remember, that parliament passed Bill C-7 in December 2020. Bill C-7 then went to the Senate for further study and a vote.

The Senate amended Bill C-7 to clearly allow euthanasia for people with mental illness and for incompetent people who asked for death by lethal injection in their advanced directive.

The Senate amendments came back to parliament where Justice Minister David Lametti rejected the amendment approving euthanasia for incompetent people who asked for it in their advanced directive but he approved euthanasia for mental illness with the caveat that euthanasia for mental illness be stayed for 24 months to give the government time to develop protocols.

What did Bill C-7 do before it was amended?

1. Bill C-7 removed the requirement in the law that a person’s natural death be reasonably foreseeable in order to qualify for assisted death. Therefore, people who are not terminally ill could die by euthanasia. The Truchon decision only required this amendment to the law, but Bill C-7 goes further.

2. Bill C-7 permits a doctor or nurse practitioner to lethally inject a person who is incapable of consenting, if that person was previously approved for assisted death. This contravenes the Supreme Court of Canada Carter decision which stated that only competent people could die by euthanasia.

3. Bill C-7 waives the ten-day waiting period if a person's natural death is deemed to be reasonably foreseeable. Thus a person could request death by euthanasia on a "bad day" and die the same day. Studies prove that the “will to live” fluctuates.

4. Bill C-7 creates a two track law. A person whose natural death is deemed to be reasonably foreseeable has no waiting period while a person whose natural death is not deemed to be reasonably foreseeable would have a 90 day waiting period before being killed by lethal injection.

5. Bill C-7 (originally) falsely claimed to prevent euthanasia for people with mental illness. The euthanasia law permits MAiD for people who are physically or psychologically suffering that is intolerable to the person and that cannot be relieved in a way that the person considers acceptable. Mental illness, which is not defined in the law, is considered a form of psychological suffering. Now parliament has specifically approved euthanasia for mental illness.

Bill C-7 went much further than the Quebec Superior Court Truchon decision and now that parliament has approved euthanasia for mental illness alone, Bill C-7 is much worse.

Bill C-7 will now go back to the Senate for debate and a vote. The Senate may once again amend the bill, sending it back again to parliament nonetheless, the damage has been done.

But there is good news.

Incredible numbers of Canadians woke up to the reality of euthanasia for mental illness alone would mean for Canada. More than 53,000 people signed our petition opposing Bill C-7 and more than 18,000 people signed our petition opposing euthanasia for mental illness.

Almost universally, people with disabilities recognized that Bill C-7, directly affects them.

Many medical professionals responded to Bill C-7, especially since the law is out-of-control without even providing them with effective conscience protections.

The battle is not over.

Many people have contacted me feeling tired and down. They cannot believe that Canada's government would permit euthanasia for people with mental illness alone. I also feel tired, but never down.

The fact is that the Liberal government, the BQ and the euthanasia lobby have clearly told Canadians where they stand. They are not concerned about the lives of people with disabilities or those who live with chronic conditions. They are not concerned about people who struggle with mental illness or other psychological conditions. They are not concerned about people who are at a vulnerable time of their life. They are not concerned about honesty and transparency.

More and more our message is accepting the challenge of caring for our family, friends and neighbours. Protecting the equality and life of people with disabilities and other chronic conditions is about recognizing that we live in solidarity with others.

Caring for and protecting others is based upon recognizing that each human being has equality which  cannot only be recognized by words but by actions.

Death is truly dignified when it is shared with those who care about that person until their natural death.