Campaigners warn of MAID 'time bomb' ahead of national march in Ottawa

OTTAWA — Leaders of Canada’s largest pro-life group warned on Wednesday that eligibility for medical assistance in dying, or MAID, is poised to expand dramatically in less than a year if legislative action is not taken to halt the change.

Speaking ahead of the national March for Life scheduled for Thursday in Ottawa, representatives from the Campaign Life Coalition highlighted the impending shift in law on MAID.

“The next euthanasia time bomb is set to explode on March 17, 2027,” said Jack Fonseca, the coalition’s political operations director.

Fonseca was referring to a temporary exclusion of MAID eligibility for which a person’s sole medical condition is mental illness. Federal legislation currently requires existence of a “grievous and irredeemable medical condition” to be eligible for MAID, and “a mental illness is not considered to be an illness, disease or disability” in this context.

That “mental illness” exception was initially set to expire in 2023, but it has been extended twice and will now end next March.

To prevent that looming change in legislation, Fonseca encouraged MPs to vote in favour of Bill C-218, a private member’s bill introduced by Conservative MP Tamara Jansen that would make permanent the MAID eligibility exclusion for those experiencing “mental disorder” alone.

Fonseca hailed the law passed in Alberta last month imposing significant restrictions on MAID. According to Fonsceca, premier Danielle Smith “has shown all other provinces the way.” He encouraged other provinces “to introduce similar legislation as a first step.”

Aleš Primc, president of the Movement for Children and Families, joined speakers for Campaign Life Coalition to present remarks ahead of Thursday’s national march. Primc led the campaign for a referendum last November to block the assisted dying law in Slovenia that had been adopted mere months earlier.

Primc said the “victory” in Slovenia is significant for Canada because it demonstrates campaigners “can win and we will win” against what he described as an “anti-culture of death.” According to Primc, supporters “fight this fight” for elderly and sick people who need compassion, help, and relationships rather than “poison.”

Along with medical assistance in dying, the Campaign Life Coalition in Canada advocates against abortion as well. The group said this year’s march “marks 57 years to the day since the passage of Canada’s 1969 omnibus bill that opened the door to abortion-on-demand.”

The theme for the annual National March for Life this year is “Follow Me.” It is scheduled to begin Thursday at 12:30 pm on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

National Post

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