Support Bill C-260
Petitioners ask the Government to support Bill C-260 to bar public servants from offering MAID to people not seeking it. The government responds that MAID must be voluntary and existing legal and non-criminal avenues can address coercion.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would ban unsolicited MAID offers by public servants, reducing the risk of distress and coercion for people who are not seeking assisted death.
- It prioritizes protection for groups named in the petition — veterans, people with disabilities, seniors and those in poverty — who may be vulnerable to improper suggestions.
- A clear federal rule could create accountability, reporting paths and spur training or policy changes across departments to prevent future incidents.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The bill could prevent officials from sharing lawful MAID information that some individuals want for informed decision‑making.
- Legislating who may raise MAID risks intruding on provincial health jurisdiction and complicating local healthcare administration.
- The government notes existing criminal charges and non‑criminal complaints can address coercion; some may prefer strengthening enforcement, training and departmental policies rather than new federal rules.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Many reports, including media stories and evidence received by Parliamentary committees, indicate a serious problem of veterans, people with disabilities, seniors, and those living in poverty being offered MAID/euthanasia by bureaucrats when they are trying to access unrelated public services. These repeated unprompted offers can cause serious distress, be coercive in nature, and make it more difficult for people to access public services that they are entitled to; CEO of Inclusion Canada Krista Carr has testified before the Finance Committee that she hears weekly complaints from people with disabilities who have had facilitated death proposed to them when they are trying to access other public services; Christine Gauthier, a veteran living with a disability, spent five years trying to get funding for a wheelchair lift from Veterans Affairs Canada. A case worker at the department offered her facilitated death instead. This is one of many instances of case workers at Veterans Affairs proposing MAID to Canadian heroes who are looking for completely unrelated supports; and Bill C-260, the Care Not Coercion Act, or The Preventing Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying Act, would prevent instances of coercion in which a bureaucrat offers medically facilitated death to those who are not asking for it. Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the Government of Canada to: Support Bill C-260, the Care Not Coercion Act. Support additional action to combat the growing problem of MAID coercion.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a complex and deeply personal matter. The legal framework for MAID balances different interests and societal values. It would be abhorrent for anyone to be coerced into receiving MAID. Individuals should not feel pressured to consider MAID and these conversations require sensitivity, judgment, and respect for individual circumstances and preferences. Canada’s federal MAID framework in the Criminal Code specifically requires that a request for MAID must be made voluntarily by the individual, and that their identity and request must be confirmed (signed/dated) by an independent witness. Depending on the circumstances, existing criminal offences such as counseling a person to die by suicide or uttering threats could be used to charge individuals who coerce others into obtaining MAID, where appropriate. There are also non-criminal avenues to address inappropriate conduct that does not reach a criminal threshold, such as complaints to health authorities, governmental departments and professional regulatory bodies, as well as through institutional policies, guidance and training. Discussions about MAID can be very sensitive. Some individuals may not want MAID to be raised unless they explicitly ask about it. At the same time, MAID is a legal healthcare service. Other individuals want to be fully informed of all available healthcare options, including MAID, as part of their right to make autonomous decisions. The diversity of perspectives underscores the importance of approaching these conversations with care. An important consideration when examining Bill C-260, Preventing Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying Act, is that limiting the ability of certain government workers (excluding doctors, registered nurses and nurse practitioners) to raise MAID, could result in information essential to ensuring informed consent not being shared. In addition, legislating federally who may or may not raise the question of MAID has the potential to infringe on the jurisdiction of provinces, and interfere with how they administer their healthcare systems. The Government continues to consider ways to ensure that our MAID laws reflect our evolving understanding of Canadians’ needs, support autonomy and freedom of choice, and protect those who may be vulnerable. The work of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD) is especially important in this respect. Bill C-260 will follow the legislative process and will be studied and debated in accordance with rules governing Private Members’ Bills.