OTTAWA—In recent weeks, both the Trudeau government and the federal Conservatives have stated that when it comes to mental health, medical assistance in dying will be put on pause. While the Liberals have tabled a bill to delay that provision for three years, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed that should his party form government, there will be no MAID expansion for mental illness. The position of both the Liberals and Conservatives is disappointing.
Anyone who struggles with mental wellness or has watched others suffer knows it is not about absolutes. God, it would be brilliant if there were absolutes and the mind was crystal clear. Sometimes it feels as if the discussion is so grossly marginalized that people envision someone who is struggling showing up at a physician’s office and saying, “I have had enough of this and am seeking medical assistance in dying,” and that being granted in hours or days.