Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
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| Tamara Jansen MP |
On June 20, 2025, Tamara Jansen (MP - Cloverdale - Langley City) introduced private members Bill C-218 in the House of Commons to prevent (MAiD) euthanasia for mental illness by excluding mental illness from being considered a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" for the purposes of MAiD. If passed, no one will be eligible for MAID for mental illness alone.
Bill C-218 will likely receive it's first hour of debate in November 2025.
When Canada expanded the euthanasia law in March 2021 by passing Bill C-7, one of the expansions in the law permitted euthanasia for a mental illness alone. At that time the government approved euthanasia for mental illness alone with a two-year moratorium to give time to prepare.
For Bill C-218 to be
successful, we will need stories from Canadians who have lived with, (or
currently live with) mental health concerns and may have died by euthanasia
(MAiD) if it had been available at that time. Contact us with your story at: info@epcc.ca
It is not easy to share stories, but the courage to share your suffering may lead to protection for other people.
A February 2023, Angus Reid Institute poll indicated 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%). A September 2023, Angus Reid Institute poll indicated that support for euthanasia for mental illness alone had dropped to 28% of Canadians.
Bill C-218 is identical to Bill C-314 that was sponsored by the Hon. Ed Fast and narrowly defeated in parliament by a vote of 167 to 150 at second reading on October 18, 2023.
The Bill C-314 debate prompted the government to delay the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness alone until March 17, 2027.
During the Bill C-314 debate many Canadians came forward with powerful personal stories that witnessed to the fact that people who are living with mental health concerns that suicidal ideation is often a symptom of mental health concerns.
For Bill C-218 to be successful, we will need stories from Canadians who have lived with, (or currently live with) mental health concerns and may have died by euthanasia (MAiD) if it had been available at that time. Contact us with your story at: info@epcc.ca
Bill C-218: (Link to Bill C-218)
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)
R.S., c. 46
Criminal Code
1 Subsection 241.2(2.1) of the Criminal Code is replaced by the following:
Exclusion
(2.1) For the purposes of Insertion start subsection (2) Insertion end, a mental Insertion start disorder Insertion end is not Insertion start a grievous and irremediable medical condition Insertion end.
Coordinating Amendments
2 (1) In this section, other Act means An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), chapter 2 of the Statutes of Canada, 2021.
(2) If section 1 of this Act comes into force before subsection 1(2.1) of the other Act, then that subsection 1(2.1) is repealed.
(3) If subsection 1(2.1) of the other Act comes into force before section 1 of this Act, then section 241.2 of the Criminal Code is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):
Exclusion
(2.1) For the purposes of subsection (2), a mental disorder is not a grievous and irremediable medical condition.
(4) If subsection 1(2.1) of the other Act comes into force on the same day as section 1 of this Act, then that subsection 1(2.1) is deemed to have come into force before that section 1 and subsection (3) applies as a consequence.
- Has Canada's euthanasia law gone too far? (Link)
- Psychiatrists: Do we offer hope or do we offer death (Link).
- The majority of Canadian oppose euthanasia for mental health (Link).
- Canada's euthanasia law is the most permissive in the world (Link).
- Canada to delay implementing euthanasia for mental illness (Link).
- Toronto Star: Canada is going too far with euthanasia (Link).
- Globe and Mail Editorial: No to euthanasia for mental disorders (Link).
- Euthanasia panel member quit: Proposals don't adequately protect Canadians with mental illness (Link).
- Offering euthanasia to a suicidal person leads to premature deaths (Link).
- Euthanizing the mentally ill without providing proper supports is reprehensible (Link).
- Euthanasia for mental illness. Killing people with an uncertain prognosis (Link).
- Profound social change with euthanasia for mental illness (Link).
2 comments:
Kudos to Ms Jansen for her courage and foresight. I wish the bill much success in raising awareness of the Liberals' misguided direction.
As a physician, it was common to see patients expressing desperation with a "mental illness", whether it was depression, anxiety or even psychotic symptoms. All wanted to escape the suffering they were experiencing. Sometimes it seemed to the patient (and physician) to be an insurmountable negative mental/emotional state, with no effective treatment, even after trying many, conventional and non-conventional. Unremitting grief from the death of a loved one would be an example. Then, remarkably, some time later, the person would come into the office with complete resolution, their enjoyment of life having returned. I have seen this numerous times. If euthanasia had been offered to these vulnerable people at those low points, their lives would almost certainly have been cut short.
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