Paul Tuns:
On May 5, Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, addressed the parliamentary Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying examining whether to continue with the March 2027 plan to expand euthanasia to patients suffering solely from mental illness. He argued that not only should Parliament resist the expansion, but that it should conduct a thorough review of the MAiD regime in Canada.
Schadenberg said “Canada is increasingly seen internationally as a cautionary example,” as “The rapid growth in MAiD deaths and the expansion in the types of cases are being closely watched abroad.” He said Canada’s permissive law influenced debates in Scotland, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom, which have all voted against assisted dying bills in either their legislatures or referendum.
Schadenberg said, “Rather than extending assisted dying to persons whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder, Parliament needs to examine how Canada’s assisted dying law is functioning.” He said some of the questions Parliament should examine include: “How has the law been implemented? Is it achieving its intended outcomes? Are there abuses of the law based on its original intention? Does the law require amendment?” Shadenberg said, “These questions have never been addressed.”
Schadenberg noted the case of Kiano Vafaeian, who was killed by euthanasia on Dec. 30, 2025 by Ellen Wiebe in Vancouver, after his doctors in Ontario refused his MAiD request. Vafaeian had Type 1 diabetes, resulting in his becoming legally blind and living with serious mental health issues including depression and suicidal ideation.
Schadenberg said, “If Kiano’s death was the only disturbing MAiD death, then one might suggest that his death is an outlier, but in fact there have been many controversial MAiD deaths.” He said the law is “vague” and thus the “legal framework allows for wide interpretation and it lacks effective oversight.”
Due to time restraints, Schadenberg limited himself to one example of the law’s faulty framework. He said Sections 241 (3) and 241 (3.1) of Canada’s Criminal Code “state that medical practitioners or nurse practitioners are required only to be ‘of the opinion’ that the eligibility criteria are met.” This, Schadenberg argued, “in practice, makes accountability extremely difficult, even impossible to prosecute a medical or nurse practitioner in Canada, even when the MAiD death is clearly wrong or deeply disturbing.” MAiD further, Parliament needs to examine how the current law has led to outcomes like the death of Kiano,” so “Parliament needs to completely review the euthanasia law.”
Concluding his remarks, Schadenberg reiterated, “Canada should not be considering the expansion of the euthanasia law to include people with mental illness alone but rather Parliament needs to fully review the law.”
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