MAiD in Canada > Liberal Minister makes good decision regarding MAiD, but is it for the right reason or is he playing politics with Life and Death?

 

Ottawa Indefinitely Extends MAID Exclusion for Those Whose Sole Condition Is Mental Illness

Minister of Justice Sean Fraser arrives to a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 25, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Matthew Horwood

10/7/2026|Updated: 10/7/2026

The federal government will table legislation to indefinitely exclude people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness from receiving medical assistance in dying (MAID), Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced on Oct. 7.

Fraser said the decision reflected the recommendations of a special parliamentary committee on MAID, which recommended that people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness remain excluded from eligibility.

“It also reflects the engagement that I’ve had, that my department has had over the course of my time in this particular position. While there is not a perfect consensus on this issue, we believe this is the correct approach at this particular time,” Fraser said.

The committee studying MAID expansion had concluded that the “evidentiary and systemic conditions necessary for safe and equitable implementation cannot presently be met.” It cited challenges in determining whether a mental illness is irremediable, a shortage of mental health services for Canadians, and concerns that the expansion could disproportionately affect women.

Fraser said the federal government will table legislation in the fall that would maintain the exclusion of people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness from MAID indefinitely.

Under the current law, the exclusion is set to expire on March 17, 2027, after being extended twice following concerns from provinces, territories, and health-care stakeholders that more time was needed to prepare the health-care system for the complex assessments and cases involved.

The justice minister also said Liberal MPs would vote later in the day against Conservative MP Tamara Jansen’s private member’s Bill C-218, which would prevent the expansion of MAID to people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental disorder. Fraser said the government shared Jansen’s view on maintaining the exclusion but had concerns that the bill’s wording could “close off access to people who suffer from serious degenerative neurological disorders.”

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Fraser said the legislation the government plans to introduce on MAID would permit advance requests for Canadians diagnosed with serious illnesses who may lose the capacity to consent in the future.

He said provinces would be able to decide whether to allow advance MAID requests. Quebec already permits advance requests under provincial legislation for people with serious and incurable illnesses, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

When asked by reporters whether Canadians with a mental illness seeking MAID could take the issue to the Supreme Court, Fraser said that if such a case arose, “we would respect what decisions that they take.”

The justice minister was also asked whether the federal government would consider further restrictions on MAID, given that a bill to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales was recently defeated in the House of Commons.

“At present, I don’t anticipate that there’s going to be further restrictions,” Fraser said.

The Conservative Party has opposed the expansion of MAID and called for stronger federal monitoring and public reporting, minimum national standards for oversight, updated guidance and training, and a review of the effectiveness and enforceability of existing MAID safeguards.

The Conservatives have also highlighted cases in which disabled Canadians and veterans were allegedly offered MAID without requesting it. Several veterans have provided testimony at parliamentary committees saying they were offered the procedure unprompted. Other concerns have been raised about whether MAID has been provided in cases where patients did not meet the eligibility requirements.

Jansen told reporters she was “extremely disappointed” that Liberal MPs planned to vote against Bill C-218 and characterized it as a “political game.” She said the Conservatives were willing to work with the government on the wording of her bill.

“We’ve said, ‘Hey, if you want to change it, we’re willing to do that.’ And now all of a sudden, that’s the reason why they can’t go forward with supporting C-218,” she said.

Speaking alongside Jansen on Oct. 7 on Parliament Hill, Conservative MP Michael Cooper expressed his disapproval of the Liberals’ proposal to allow advance MAID requests for individuals with serious degenerative neurological disorders. He described Fraser’s latest announcement as “playing politics with life and death.”

“The minister has quite deliberately tried to tie in to—where there is clear consensus, where there is a clear path, which is to put an indefinite pause—an entirely new issue, which are advance requests,” Cooper said.

The federal government legalized MAID in 2016 after Parliament passed Bill C-14, amending the Criminal Code in response to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found the existing prohibition on assisted dying unconstitutional. Parliament expanded MAID eligibility in 2021 through Bill C-7 to include people whose natural death is not “reasonably foreseeable.”

Since MAID was legalized in Canada, 76,475 people have received euthanasia, according to the latest available Health Canada data for 2024.

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Euthanasia - Sin is Progressive > The Netherlands just euthanized a toddler, Who's next?

 

1-year-old euthanized under new rules in the Netherlands allowing termination for sick children

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, October 01, 2026

Getty Images/Isabel Pavia

Doctors in the Netherlands euthanized a severely disabled 1-year-old child, the first case reported by Dutch authorities under rules introduced in 2024 that allow ending the lives of seriously ill children between the ages of 1 and 12.

According to an assessment published by the Netherlands’ Review Committee on Late-term Abortions and Termination of Life of Neonates and Children, which reviews such cases, the doctor involved in administering the euthanasia “acted with due care.”

The report stated that the child was euthanized through gradual sedation with “coma-inducing substances.”

Liana Graham, a research assistant for domestic policy at The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank, told The Christian Post that the case raises broader questions about euthanasia and the groups for whom the practice could eventually be permitted.

“The situation unfolding in the Netherlands is abhorrent, but it isn’t surprising,” Graham said. “As an advocate against assisted suicide, I have long maintained that as soon as the state legitimates the killing of grandma, it is only a matter of time before it authorizes it for other groups deemed ‘unfit’ for life.”

Graham pointed specifically to disabled people, severely ill newborns and people with severe illnesses as groups she believes could be affected as euthanasia expands.

The child’s name and sex have not been disclosed, but the committee said the baby was born prematurely at 26 weeks while the family was abroad.

The child also reportedly had multiple complications, including severe infections that led to sepsis. By the time the child was nearly 2 years old, doctors estimated the child’s developmental age at about 6 weeks.

In addition to having difficulty breathing, the child developed spastic cerebral palsy and is believed to have had cerebral visual impairment. At 8 months, the child was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy.

The doctor leading the child’s care concluded that “the child was not continuously suffering unbearably” and suggested palliative care and other options. But the committee said further treatments caused additional side effects.

An independent doctor argued that the child met the requirements of the nation’s rules on termination of life, saying the child’s suffering was clear. The doctors and the child’s parents ultimately decided to end the child’s life because they concluded there would be no improvement.

“The Netherlands proves that the slippery slope of euthanasia is real,” Graham said, adding that she believes the practice can lead to “a future of less freedom and more paternalism.”

She criticized the language used in the committee’s review. The report stated that “every facet of ‘being human’ in terms of motor skills, behavior and personality was severely affected” and that there would be no improvement.

“Those choice words are extremely revealing. The committee didn’t simply conclude, using their professional judgment, that the child had a poor prognosis — they made a value judgment about which qualities properly fit the category of ‘being human,’” Graham said.

“It rings eerily of the eugenicists and materialists of the 20th century who believed that humanity was nothing more than a product of environment and matter,” she continued. “Delegating authority to an unelected expert class to ‘scientifically determine’ who is compatible with life and who isn’t is a far cry from an expression of liberty, as early advocates of euthanasia claimed.”

Under the Dutch framework, a physician must conclude, based on prevailing medical knowledge, that ending a child’s life is the only reasonable way to end suffering that is unbearable and without prospect of improvement. The 2024 rules apply to children ages 1 to 12 who meet the relevant conditions.

“The case against such a practice is far deeper than a debate within medical ethics,” Graham said. “This concerns what kind of society we want to live in and give to our children to inherit.”

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman

Disturbing story of Quebec man's poor medical care leading to Medically Assisted Suicide

 

Sin is progressive! Once you open a door to evil, even though it seems good, things will just get worse and worse. Canada's MAiD, Medical Assistance in Death policy is an example. Off to a cautious and almost reasonable start when first introduced by woke elites, it has taken steps every year to make it more accessible to more people. Now they want people to be able to decide well in advance of meeting the requirements. 

In this case, a man's poor medical care left him in so much agony, he chose to end his life in order to end the pain.

Quadriplegic man’s MAID death from bedsore 

results in public inquiry being ordered

By Kalina Laframboise  Global News

Posted June 25, 2024 9:28 am

 Updated June 25, 2024 3:38 pm

 2 min read

Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the medically assisted death of a quadriplegic man after he developed a severe bedsore during a hospital stay.

The decision announced Tuesday comes after Quebec’s public security minister demanded an investigation into Normand Meunier’s death.

The 66-year-old man was admitted to a hospital in Saint-Jérôme, just north of Montreal, last January. He was being treated for a respiratory illness.

During his hospital stay, Meunier developed a major pressure sore on his buttocks. Moelle épinière et motricité Québec, a group that advocates for people with spinal cord injuries and improved mobility, said the sore exposed muscle around Meunier’s tailbone.

In late March, he received medical assistance in dying to put an end to his suffering.

“It was not his choice. He asked for medical assisted to death as a result of no choice and lack of care,” said Ariane Gauthier-Tremblay, a social worker with the advocacy group.

“We want to make it very clear.”

Meunier’s death sent shock waves through Quebec, with members of opposition parties describing Meunier’s death as a “true shame” for the province.

An internal investigation was launched by the local public health authority that oversees the hospital, but calls grew for a separate, independent probe. Health Minister Christian Dubé has also announced an investigation into Meunier’s death.

Meunier’s wife told Radio-Canada she had said to hospital staff that Meunier needed a special mattress to avoid bedsores, but that he spent four days on an emergency room stretcher without one.

Sylvie Brosseau spoke publicly about her husband’s death in May, saying she would continue to fight and that she didn’t want Meunier to have died “in vain.”

“There are other people who are very unwell in hospitals at the moment,” Brosseau said at the time, adding they must receive proper care.

Quebec Coroner Dave Kimpton will oversee the inquiry, which will include public hearings from interested parties.

The inquiry will look into the circumstances surrounding Meunier’s case and make recommendations as to prevent similar deaths. The dates have not yet been set.

The decision to hold a public inquiry comes as a relief for both Meunier’s family and Moelle épinière et motricité Québec. Gauthier-Tremblay hopes it will help prevent similar situations.

“We want physically disabled people to be confident when they go to the hospital and we want them to have specific care that respects their spinal cord injuries. We want them to be safe and healed when they go to the hospital,” Gauthier-Tremblay said.

The regional health authority in charge of the hospital confirmed its own investigation is ongoing and it will cooperate with the coroner’s inquiry.

— with files from Global’s Felicia Parrillo and The Canadian Press

European Politics > Russia turning off Euro gas; BoJo bows out; EU Charter now includes Abortion Rights

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Germany fears for gas supply as Russia to shut down Nord Stream pipeline

By Sheri Walsh

Russian gas company Gazprom plans to shut-down the European Union's largest gas pipeline, Nord Stream 1, for maintenance, raising gas supply fears in Germany -- an concerns it may not be turned back on. File photo by Igor Golovniov/Shutterstock

July 5 (UPI) -- Russia plans to shut down Europe's largest gas pipeline, Nord Stream, for annual maintenance, next week with some in Germany fearing the temporary shut-down could become permanent.

Russian gas company Gazprom, which owns the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, announced maintenance is scheduled to run from July 11 to 22 to "test mechanical and automated systems."

But some in the European Union, which now relies on the Russian pipeline for about 40% of its gas, are not convinced the testing will run according to schedule.

"We cannot rule out the possibility that gas transport will not be resumed afterwards for political reasons," Klaus Mueller, Head of Germany's energy regulator told CNBC.

If supply "doesn't come back after maintenance because President Putin plays games or wants to hit Europe while it hurts, then the plan to fill up gas storage by the end of summer will probably not work," Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group told CNBC.

Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands are all prepared to use coal-fired plants to make up for any new gas shortages. A number of European countries have also been filling underground storage with natural gas supplies to make sure there is enough fuel for the winter.

Last month, Gazprom announced it was cutting its output to Europe because of a maintenance issue, forcing Germany to warn its citizens to conserve.

"The gas flows from the Nord Stream 1 were throttled yesterday to around 40% of the maximum capacity," Germany's Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection said on its website.

German leaders saw the move as an attack on Europe over its rebuke of Russia's war in Ukraine and now worry next week's maintenance could drag on longer.

"Germany has Europe's biggest population, it's the biggest economy, it's the biggest gas consumer, it's the biggest single importer of Russian gas, and it has got nine land borders," Gloystein said. "So, whatever happens in Germany spills into the rest of Europe."

Bojo the Clown bows out of the Big Top

Boris Johnson agrees to resign, will remain PM for now

By Sean Boynton  Global News

Posted July 7, 2022 2:21 pm

Boris Johnson has resigned as Britain’s prime minister, bringing an end to one of the rockiest tenures for a world leader in modern times after a series of scandals rocked his government’s confidence in him.

Bowing to growing pressure as more than 50 ministers quit and lawmakers said he must go, Johnson spoke outside his Downing Street office Thursday to confirm he would resign.

“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” Johnson said.

However, he said he will remain as British prime minister while a leadership contest is held to choose his successor. He will remain an MP after he steps down, one of his close aides confirmed on Twitter.

“The process of choosing that new leader should begin now. And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will until a new leader is in place,” Johnson said.

After U.K.’s Boris Johnson steps down, who could become the next PM?

Among the possible candidates to succeed him include former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

The leader of the opposition Labour party, Keir Starmer, welcomed the news of Johnson’s resignation, but said it should have happened “long ago”.

“He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale,” Starmer said.

Truss, a Conservative MP, also said Johnson was right to step down as prime minister.

“The PM has made the right decision,” she said. “We need calmness and unity now and to keep governing while a new leader is found.”

Fall from grace

Johnson’s exit marks a remarkable fall from grace for the charismatic Conservative leader, who just two-and-a-half years ago was celebrating an overwhelming election victory and the full backing of his party.

He had vowed to move forward as prime minister after narrowly surviving a confidence vote last month that was triggered by shifting stories about COVID-19 lockdown-breaking parties in government offices — some of which he attended.

But that stance proved untenable after two of his most senior cabinet ministers quit Tuesday over similarly shifting explanations about his handling of a sexual misconduct scandal that dogged a recent government appointee.

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other, costing Johnson the support of the men responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain — the cost-of-living crisis and surging COVID-19 infections.

Those two were then joined by solicitor general Alex Chalk, who also joined four parliamentary private secretaries, the Conservative Party’s vice-chair and two trade envoys in abandoning Johnson and resigning. Several more ministers and government officials followed that first group out the door Wednesday, further endangering the prime minister.

In their resignation letters, Sunak and Javid both said Johnson’s credibility had been shattered by the growing list of scandals, with Chalk adding that public confidence in the government under its current leadership had “irretrievably broken down.”

European Parliament votes to include abortion rights in EU Charter

By Simon Druker

   

Abortion rights activist Julianne D' Eredita addresses demonstrators June 26 during a march from the U.S. Supreme Court to the White House in Washington to protest the court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License

July 7 (UPI) -- Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution calling for the right to abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the legislative body said Thursday.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 324 MEPs in favor, 155 against with 38 abstentions.

"A proposal should be submitted to the [European] Council to amend Article 7 of the charter, adding that 'everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion,'" the parliament said in a news release.

Parliamentary members expect the EC to meet to discuss a convention to revise the European Union Treaties at a future date.

This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned federal protection of abortion rights, leaving to each state to restrict or ban abortion.

Thursday's resolution by the European Parliament also condemns the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The parliament said it is urging its members to lobby member states to decriminalize abortion and "to remove and combat the remaining legal, financial, social and practical restrictions still hampering access in some member states."

In June, MEPs adopted a resolution calling for the landmark Roe vs. Wade case to be upheld.

Abortion rights vary widely among EU members, with Malta having the strictest restrictions, not allowing the procedure under any circumstances.

"Today, the [European Parliament] has stood up for all women by sending a strong message that will resonate worldwide," MEP Susana Solís Pérez said in a statement to Politico.

"Safe and legal abortion is a fundamental right and, as such, it should be included in our charter."

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