Canada: A ‘cautionary tale’ on so-called assisted dying

A Canadian MP has warned of the dangers of his country’s “state-facilitated suicide programme”.

Michael Cooper is MP for St Albert-Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. Since legalising Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in certain circumstances in 2016, Canada has already abolished the requirement for a person to be terminally ill and intends to expand it to those who suffer solely from mental health problems from 2027.

The MP reports how over a few years, safeguards have crumbled and year-on-year MAID deaths have soared at a “staggering” rate of about 30 per cent.

‘Depraved’

Cooper explained that the Canadian Government has approached the issue “through the ideological lens of individual autonomy”, but the eligibility criteria has become so permissive that the regime is “rife for abuse”.

He stated: “Now persons with disabilities qualify for state-administered death on the basis that they are disabled – stigmatising and devaluing the lives of persons with disabilities.”

Highlighting the expansion of the scheme to those with mental disorders, he said: “This should horrify anyone of decency and demonstrates how depraved Canada’s MAiD regime has become”.

The MP concluded: “This is the very antithesis of what is compassionate and humane. For governments around the world considering assisted dying, it is a lesson on what not to do.”

Concerns

In the UK, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has revealed that he will not vote to legalise assisted suicide.

Darren Jones, deputy to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, said he would either abstain or vote against Kim Leadbeater’s Private Member’s Bill, given the lack of scrutiny it will face in the House of Commons.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is due to be debated at the end of this month, and would allow those in England and Wales who are deemed to be terminally ill to receive help to kill themselves.