Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
*Sign and share our petition to Justice Minister Hon Arif Virani, Hon Rob Moore (CPC Justice Critic) and Randall Garrison (NDP Justice Critic) (Petition Link).
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition needs your help to implement a successful campaign to reverse the current direction with euthanasia in Canada.
When the Canadian government expanded its (MAiD) euthanasia
law in March 2021 (Bill C-7) it did so by removing the terminal illness
requirement and permitting Canadians to be poisoned to death
if they have an irremediable medical condition (Link).
Bill C-7 also added the option of euthanasia for mental illness alone. (Link) The government originally provided a two-year moratorium on euthanasia for mental illness to give them time to prepare for this expansion. In 2023 the government extended the moratorium for another year (Link). Therefore, unless the government pauses its current plan, euthanasia for mental illness alone will become an option on March 17, 2024.
In February 2023, the Angus Reid Institute published a poll
indicating that 31% of Canadians supported euthanasia for mental illness alone,
with the highest support being in Quebec (36%) and the lowest support being in
Saskatchewan (21%) (Link). In September 2023, the Angus Reid Institute conducted
another poll which indicated that support for euthanasia for mental illness
alone had dropped to 28% of Canadians (Link).
Even though Canadians oppose euthanasia for mental illness, Canada’s parliament recently defeated Bill C-314, that was sponsored by Hon. Ed Fast (MP) that would have prevented euthanasia for mental illness alone. The good news was that the vote was close (167 – 150) with all of the Conservatives and NDP and 8 Liberals supporting Bill C-314. (Link)
We need to tell the stories.
A Canadian Forces veteran seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury was shocked when he was unexpectedly and casually offered medical assistance in dying by a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee, sources tell Global News.
Sources say a VAC service agent brought up medical assistance in dying, or MAID, unprompted in the conversation with the veteran. Global News is not identifying the veteran who was seeking treatment.
Canadians were shocked that a veteran who served the country
and was seeking help for PTSD was offered (MAiD) euthanasia. The story was
published around the same time as several other stories of people
with disabilities who were approved for euthanasia based on poverty (Link), homelessness or being unable to obtain medical treatment.
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| Kathryn Mentler |
According to the article, Mentler went to the Vancouver
General Hospital to receive help. The article states that she was told by the
counsellor that the mental health system was "completely
overwhelmed", there were no available beds, and the earliest that she
could talk with a psychiatrist was in about five months. The counsellor then
asked Mentler if she had ever considered medically assisted suicide.
Canadians reacted strongly to the Mentler story as she was
experiencing suicidal ideation and offered euthanasia while seeking a “safe
place”. It must be noted that euthanasia for mental illness was technically
illegal in June 2023 when it was offered as an option to Mentler.
In August 2023 a story was published by the Richmond News explaining that if euthanasia for mental illness had existed in the past, that Karim Jessa would be dead. Jessa explained in the interview that he opposes euthanasia for mental illness because, when he had hit rock bottom, he would have asked for an assisted death if it had been legal, but now he is a completely different person.
There have been many articles in the media concerning people
with disabilities who asked for or received (MAiD) euthanasia based on poverty,
homelessness or an inability to obtain medical treatment.
Similar to people with disabilities (Link), people with mental
health issues (Link) are more likely to live in poverty (Link), to be homeless (Link) or to struggle
to obtain the medical treatment that they need.
The battle to protect people with mental illness has not ended.
On December 13 Justice Minister Arif Virani stated that the Federal government may “pause
its original plan” to permit (MAiD) euthanasia for mental illness (Link).
Members of parliament will have the opportunity to oppose euthanasia for mental illness when they return to parliament after the Christmas break.
Members of Parliament need to reject euthanasia for mental
illness.
Urge Member's of Parliament Not to abandon people with mental illness to death by MAiD.
Sign and share our petition to Justice Minister Hon Arif Virani, Hon Rob Moore (CPC Justice Critic) and Randall Garrison (NDP Justice Critic) (Petition Link).Links to reference articles used in this article:
- Canada's government may pause the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness. (Link)
- Canada passes Bill C-7 - permitting euthanasia for mental illness. (Link)
- Canada to delay euthanasia for mental illness until March 2024. (Link)
- The majority of Canadians oppose euthanasia for mental health. (Link)
- 28% of Canadians support euthanasia for mental illness. (Link)
- Bill C-314 defeated. Parliament divided on euthanasia for mental illness. (Link)
- Veterans Affairs Canada worker advocates euthanasia for PTSD. (Link)
- Canadian Quadriplegic woman approved to die by euthanasia faster than it takes to get needed disability benefits (Link)
- Canadian woman offered euthanasia as a "treatment option" during a mental health crisis. (Link)
- Globe and Mail editorial urges federal government to withdraw euthanasia for mental illness. (Link)
- The problem with Canada's MAiD policy (Link)
- Ontario man seeks euthanasia to avoid homelessness. (Link)
- Why did they kill my brother. (Link)
it's murder
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