Block MAID for infants
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to block any attempt to expand medical assistance in dying (MAID) to permit euthanasia or assisted death for infants from birth to one year.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would keep legal protection for newborns by preventing expansion of MAID to infants who cannot consent.
- It responds to public concern about proposals to allow infant euthanasia by directing government to prohibit such changes.
- It preserves existing consent and capacity standards and avoids creating complex ethical and legal precedents.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A blanket prohibition could prevent consideration of narrowly defined, exceptional medical situations where parents and clinicians seek relief.
- It may block careful, evidence-based review of neonatal end-of-life policy by foreclosing policy options rather than proposing safeguards.
- The petition offers no alternative investments, such as stronger neonatal palliative care or clearer safeguards, which could address concerns more constructively.
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 Government of Canada We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Louis Roy of the Quebec College of Physicians recommended expanding euthanasia to "babies from birth to one year of age who come into the world with severe deformities and very serious syndromes"; This proposal for the legalized killing of infants is deeply disturbing to many Canadians; and Infanticide is always wrong. We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call on the Government of Canada to block any attempt to allow the killing of children.
Government response
No government response is available yet.