A highly anticipated parliamentary committee report on expanding medical assistance in dying (MAID) to include mental illness as a sole condition is expected Wednesday. The review comes as Canada marks a decade since the practice was legalized, with implementation of the expansion currently targeted for March 2027 after multiple delays.
The committee, co-chaired by Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski, heard skepticism from 25 of 32 consulted organizations regarding the readiness of the expansion. Opinion polling indicates public awareness remains low, with 56% of respondents unaware of the upcoming change. Among those who are aware, support is narrowly divided at 46%, with 44% opposed.
More than 76,000 Canadians have received MAID since 2016. In 2024, over 95% of recipients had a terminal illness, primarily cancer. The year-over-year growth rate of MAID provisions has decelerated to 6.9%.
Calls for caution persist. A United Nations committee recently urged Canada to halt the mental illness expansion, citing the need for better social and mental health networks. This aligns with Alberta’s provincial legislation restricting MAID to patients with a prognosis of 12 months or less.