Evangelical Fellowship of Canada responds to government MAiD policy shift

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has expressed support for the federal government’s recent commitment to permanently cancel the planned expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) for individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced that the government will introduce legislation this fall to halt the expansion, citing concerns that the current healthcare system lacks the clinical certainty required to safely assess psychiatric conditions for irremediability.

While welcoming this decision, the EFC voiced significant reservations regarding the government's concurrent plan to permit advance requests for MAiD. The announcement followed a parliamentary vote on October 7, where members of the House of Commons defeated Bill C-218, a private member’s bill supported by the EFC that sought to remove the mental illness provisions from the MAiD framework. Although the EFC expressed regret over the failure of the bill, they acknowledged the government's shift in policy as a necessary step to protect vulnerable citizens.