Canada Not Ready to Expand Assisted Dying for Mental Disorders, Says Minister Holland
(Ottawa) The federal government is pausing plans to make medical assistance in dying available to people whose only medical condition is mental illness – and Health Minister Mark Holland is giving no hint at a new timeline.
The country is not yet ready to take such a major step, Holland acknowledged on Monday, agreeing with the findings of a joint parliamentary committee that released its final report earlier in the day.
The committee, which reconvened last year to determine whether health care professionals were prepared, concluded that the fundamental questions surrounding the controversial expansion have yet to be resolved.
Health Minister Mark Holland
While assisted dying practitioners, health professionals and regulators have done considerable groundwork, the committee heard "significant testimony" from stakeholders that the system was not yet ready.
The report indicates that many practitioners remain concerned, particularly with regard to the challenges of assessing the irremediable aspect of mental illness.
Important questions also remain about how assessors would be able to differentiate between a person requesting assistance in dying and a person with suicidal thoughts.
Senators and deputies on the committee also heard "contradictory" testimony, the report said, which also recommended that the committee resume its work a year before the next deadline.
How can I ensure that the conditions are met?The government will soon introduce legislation detailing its plans, Holland said. This will have to happen before the expansion takes effect on March 17.
"We need more time," he said. We will be in a position in the next few days to talk about how much time we think is needed. »
The Liberals already legislated a one-year timeline last year, saying at the time that medical providers and provinces needed more time to prepare.
The government is very aware of the upcoming deadline, Justice Minister Arif Virani said.
Liberals continue to argue that someone who has lived through "decades" of torment and has exhausted all treatment options should have the option of medical assistance in dying, Holland said.
But the government needs to make sure that this measure is "limited to these circumstances and that we have appropriate controls," he added.
Minister Holland also highlighted the concerns expressed by the governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba about the planned expansion and the risks it could pose to people with mental illness.
The Liberals are under increasing pressure from the opposition to curb their expansion plans. The federal New Democrats want to put more mental health supports in place first.
The federal Conservatives, for their part, are calling for its total abolition.
In a dissenting report, Conservative MPs and senators on the committee said it would be "reckless and dangerous" for the Liberals to allow the planned change to take place in March.
"Canada is not ready for this and, frankly, there is no evidence that it ever will be," several MPs said in a statement.
"Justin Trudeau must immediately and permanently end the expansion (of medical assistance in dying) to people with mental illness."
An eagerly awaited planDying with Dignity, a national organization advocating for end-of-life care, called on the government to come forward with its plan as soon as possible.
The necessary standards of training and practice have been developed and, after three years of preparation by providers, the country is indeed ready to move forward, the group said in a statement.
Depriving people with mental illness of the opportunity to be assessed for assisted dying is tantamount to a violation of their rights, he said.
Three independent senators echoed this point in a dissenting opinion on the committee's findings.
"Canadians with mental health issues should receive appropriate health care on a case-by-case basis," reads the statement by Senators Stan Kutcher, Marie-Françoise Megie and Pamela Wallin.
"It also stigmatizes people with mental disorders, fostering the myth that people with mental disorders are incapable of making informed decisions about their end-of-life choices."
The country is not yet ready to take such a major step, Holland acknowledged on Monday, agreeing with the findings of a joint parliamentary committee that released its final report earlier in the day.
The committee, which reconvened last year to determine whether health care professionals were prepared, concluded that the fundamental questions surrounding the controversial expansion have yet to be resolved.
Health Minister Mark Holland
While assisted dying practitioners, health professionals and regulators have done considerable groundwork, the committee heard "significant testimony" from stakeholders that the system was not yet ready.
The report indicates that many practitioners remain concerned, particularly with regard to the challenges of assessing the irremediable aspect of mental illness.
Important questions also remain about how assessors would be able to differentiate between a person requesting assistance in dying and a person with suicidal thoughts.
Senators and deputies on the committee also heard "contradictory" testimony, the report said, which also recommended that the committee resume its work a year before the next deadline.
How can I ensure that the conditions are met?The government will soon introduce legislation detailing its plans, Holland said. This will have to happen before the expansion takes effect on March 17.
"We need more time," he said. We will be in a position in the next few days to talk about how much time we think is needed. »
The Liberals already legislated a one-year timeline last year, saying at the time that medical providers and provinces needed more time to prepare.
The government is very aware of the upcoming deadline, Justice Minister Arif Virani said.
Liberals continue to argue that someone who has lived through "decades" of torment and has exhausted all treatment options should have the option of medical assistance in dying, Holland said.
But the government needs to make sure that this measure is "limited to these circumstances and that we have appropriate controls," he added.
Minister Holland also highlighted the concerns expressed by the governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba about the planned expansion and the risks it could pose to people with mental illness.
The Liberals are under increasing pressure from the opposition to curb their expansion plans. The federal New Democrats want to put more mental health supports in place first.
The federal Conservatives, for their part, are calling for its total abolition.
In a dissenting report, Conservative MPs and senators on the committee said it would be "reckless and dangerous" for the Liberals to allow the planned change to take place in March.
"Canada is not ready for this and, frankly, there is no evidence that it ever will be," several MPs said in a statement.
"Justin Trudeau must immediately and permanently end the expansion (of medical assistance in dying) to people with mental illness."
An eagerly awaited planDying with Dignity, a national organization advocating for end-of-life care, called on the government to come forward with its plan as soon as possible.
The necessary standards of training and practice have been developed and, after three years of preparation by providers, the country is indeed ready to move forward, the group said in a statement.
Depriving people with mental illness of the opportunity to be assessed for assisted dying is tantamount to a violation of their rights, he said.
Three independent senators echoed this point in a dissenting opinion on the committee's findings.
"Canadians with mental health issues should receive appropriate health care on a case-by-case basis," reads the statement by Senators Stan Kutcher, Marie-Françoise Megie and Pamela Wallin.
"It also stigmatizes people with mental disorders, fostering the myth that people with mental disorders are incapable of making informed decisions about their end-of-life choices."
