Reverse MAID eligibility expansion
Petitioners ask the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 to reverse the law that extended medical assistance in dying (MAID) eligibility to persons whose sole medical condition is a mental illness.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would remove MAID eligibility for people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness, which petitioners argue would reduce deaths when supports are unavailable.
- It would shift policy focus to expanding access to mental‑health treatment and supports before allowing MAID eligibility based on mental illness alone.
- It recognizes that suicidal ideation can be a symptom and aims to ensure MAID is not granted without adequate treatment and assessment.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A categorical reversal might prolong suffering for people with treatment‑resistant, intolerable mental illness who seek MAID as relief.
- It could remove a legally available option and autonomy for competent adults whose suffering persists despite available treatments.
- Rather than a blanket reversal, critics may prefer strengthening safeguards, assessment procedures and access to care tailored to psychiatric cases.
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, WHEREAS Canadians with mental illness should be provided with treatment and support; Mental illness is complex and can include suicidal thoughts as a symptom; The lives of Canadians with mental illness will be at risk when they are eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAID) on the basis of mental illness alone, especially when treatment and support are not readily available. Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 which would reverse the law extending eligibility for MAID to people with mental illness as their sole medical condition.
Government response
No government response is available yet.