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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MAiD - Medical Assistance in Dying > In Canada, MAiD is akin to waterboarding to death - Dr. Jordan Peterson

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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#Ozzone 11-5> We must experience the sufferings of Christ, or we are of little use to Him

 

In the seeking of temporal rewards, avoiding identifying in the sufferings of Christ, we limit our rewards in Eternity. Some will have great rewards; some will have much less so. You can have many of your rewards here and now if you insist and refuse Christ’s sufferings, but you may not see them in Eternity. The things God could have done with you may not get done, or He may have to equip someone else to do them.

Ozzone 9-30 > How much are you willing to suffer for God? Are you willing to identify with His cross?

 

And it will benefit God’s Kingdom, and will ultimately benefit you. Have you so surrendered your right to yourself to God that you will allow Him to make you into broken bread and poured-out wine? He will knead you, put you on the back burner until you rise, and then throw you into the oven. After all that, He will pull you apart like Jesus was pulled apart on the Cross. Are you willing to endure the pain?

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

Bits and Bites > The Netherlands to Ban Pugs and other Designer Pets

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Dutch to ban unhealthy designer pets

Charlotte VAN OUWERKERK

Fri, January 20, 2023 at 7:55 AM PST

The Netherlands wants to ban pets such as flat-faced dogs and cats with folded ears, which look sweet but suffer "miserable" health problems, the government said on Friday.

Dutch Agriculture Minister Piet Adema said he would seek to outlaw the ownership of the designer breeds and to ban photos of them in advertising or on social media.

"We make life miserable for innocent animals, purely because we think they are 'beautiful' and 'cute'," Adema said in a statement.

"That is why today we are taking a big step towards a Netherlands where no pet has to suffer from his or her appearance."

Despite sought-after looks that have made them a favourite with celebrities and a fixture among social media influencers, such pets suffer from a range of health conditions.

The Dutch minister said that owners often "have the best of intentions but are often unaware of the dark side of their pets' appearance".

"This subject touches me as a minister but also as a human," added Adema.

The government would now work out a full list of affected breeds, he said, adding that it could take some time.

But the public broadcaster NOS said squish-faced pugs could be among those banned.

The Netherlands banned the breeding of pets that are affected by their appearance in 2014, but some animals were still being traded illegally or bought from abroad.

The proposed new rules are designed to close a loophole so that it will also be illegal to own them.

In 2019, the Dutch government updated the rules to specifically apply to dogs whose snout is less than half the length of their skull.

- 'Out of breath' -

"Dogs with snouts that are too short are constantly out of breath, making them gasp throughout their life," Adema said in a letter to parliament setting out the proposal.

"Dogs that have a deviant skull shape may suffer from a permanent headache.

"Cats with folding ears have deviated cartilage which can cause them a lot of pain."

The fold-eared felines would definitely qualify for a ban, as was already the case in the Flanders region of neighbouring Belgium, the agriculture ministry said.

Ozzone 6-25 > Have you been through the fires of sorrow? You will need to in order to be of real value to the Lord and His Kingdom.

 

Suffering is required to grow as a Christian. We are expected to identify with Jesus Who suffered horribly. Paul and Silas praised God for the privilege of suffering for Him.

But we have many otherwise good Christians who refuse to believe that many of us will go through the Great Tribulation before being raptured. It is the theory that God will rescue His people before the real suffering begins. This is unfortunate and Unbiblical. Jesus was rescued out of His sufferings, not from His sufferings. Why should we expect any better treatment? Is there an example in the Bible of God rescuing His people before suffering began? I can’t find one.

On the other hand, the Israelites were protected during the ten plagues of Egypt, but were not rescued until the plagues were complete, that’s when they fled Egypt. And, in fact, they weren’t completely rescued until they were within minutes of being slaughtered by Pharoah’s Army.

If you expect anything less terrifying than that, you are not ready for the End Times. - GWM

Ozzone 5-15 > Are you broken-bread and poured-out wine, or the same miserable crosspatch set on having your own way?

 

Great Lesson from The Voice of the Martyrs

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"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." – 2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV

A church occupied in Great Commission work will see growth when people discover the love of the Father through Jesus, His Son. Then, fuelled by the Holy Spirit's guidance, these new followers of Jesus mature in the faith through discipleship and the application of God’s Word. Thus, the church becomes a marvellous blending of young and old, immature and mature, growing together in awe and reverence of the one true God.

However, Christians will encounter hostility in this world because of their faith and witness of Christ. As the church increases through conversion, the world's pushback will be one of threats, intimidation and eventual attack. Regardless of where they live, every Christian will be hated by the world because of their allegiance to Jesus. This is just as true for Christians in Canada as it is for believers in North Korea. While hostility from the world may vary from location to location, suffering for righteousness is a normal aspect of the Christian life.

For example, in Sri Lanka, while mob intimidations and attacks incited by Buddhist monks are common, local authorities often turn a blind eye to these incidents. Such aggression is not what we in the West typically associate with Buddhism, as a "violent Buddhist" is an oxymoron. And yet, whoever rejects Christ, regardless of their religion or belief, the normal outcome will be expressed in opposition to His will and way.

I recall hearing a story of a Sri Lankan pastor who witnessed Buddhist leaders and police stand silently in the foreground as an angry mob stormed his church and set it on fire. When the fire eventually died out, the church was completely gutted, with everything destroyed by the flames. Yet, picking through the charred remains, the pastor found a small clay flowerpot – the only thing that survived the fire.

The next Sunday, the congregation gathered in the ruins of their church. The pastor stood to welcome the members and lifted the flowerpot. He then asked, "Why do you think this little pot survived while everything else burned?" After a moment of silence, the pastor stated, "The reason this little pot survived is because it had already been through the fire while being made and, therefore, was able to withstand the heat."

Drawing a lesson from this little pot, he further explained: "The same can be said about our lives. When we go through trials and challenges because of our faith, we become stronger, our faith becomes stronger, and we can stand firm. Remember Isaiah 43:2 which reads, ‘When you pass through the waters, I [God] will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.’ You may be going through a challenge this very day in your own life. Whatever it may be, it is not a fire that will destroy you, but the Refiner's fire that will purge and purify your faith for His glory."

Christians are made of "stronger stuff," as God uses the difficulties and trials of life to shape us for His unique calling on our lives. The Apostle Paul tells us that all Christians are in the process of being transformed daily into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). He also reminds us of the fact that all things work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). For all who desire to live the Godly life in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12), the question we must ask ourselves is: How will we respond when trouble comes because of our faith in Him?

Rev. Richard Wurmbrand, the international founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, spent 14 years in a Communist prison. For much of that time, he was imprisoned underground in complete solitary confinement. He endured tortures and mistreatments that should have killed him. And yet, amid such miserable conditions, Rev. Wurmbrand said: "There's always a good reason to rejoice. There is a God in heaven and in the heart. I had a piece of bread this morning. It was so good! Look now, the sun is shining, and so many here love me! Every day you do not rejoice is a day lost!"

What amazing insights from a man who would not allow hate to rule his heart. Instead, Rev. Wurmbrand chose to live a life of worship, even in the darkest moments of his human experience. A characteristic of the Christian life is thankfulness – a thankfulness not influenced by outward circumstances, but one that resides in the recesses of the heart and offers right sacrifices to God. Hope is the "stronger stuff" in the life of a believer who finds peace in the flames of adversity and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Grace and peace,

Floyd A. Brobbel

Chief Executive Officer

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada Inc.