Canada's Liberal government has no intention of amending Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) legislation, despite a United Nations committee call to do just that earlier this year.

Last Tuesday, Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu spoke at the UN, marking 15 years since Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

"It's about… making relationships in this space and making sure that I have a really strong connection with the community, which I think is really important to be a good minister," Hajdu said of her role. 

Hajdu didn't cite the committee's report, which was released in late March during the federal election, that expressed "extreme concern" over Canada's MAID policy.

Canada introduced MAID in 2016 for the terminally ill. Track two, added in 2021, covers those with unbearable suffering from an irreversible, but not terminal, illness or disability. 

The UN Committee voiced apprehension with legislative amendments that include people whose death isn't reasonably foreseeable and those with mental illness, which is slated for implementation in 2027.

Minister Hajdu's spokesperson thanked the international body for its report. "MAID is a deeply personal choice. We will make sure that the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld and protected," Jennifer Kozelj told the Canadian Press.

The committee denounced the "choice" argument as a false dichotomy, arguing it allows governments to neglect disabled individuals by promoting MAID over dignified living support. They criticized the 2027 MAID expansion and urged a focus on supporting the disabled.

In September, Inclusion Canada and other groups challenged "track two MAID," arguing it offers state-funded death to disabled individuals who lack state-funded support to alleviate their suffering. CEO Krista Carr urged Ottawa to implement the UN report's recommendations. "It was crystal clear—the United Nations said they need to repeal track 2 medical assistance in dying."

Of 15,343 assisted deaths in 2023, 622 were track two, including 210 people with disabilities. 

Less than 3% of assisted death recipients in 2023 reported insufficient disability support. MAID recipients often reported mobility and pain-related disabilities.

Conservative employment critic Garnett Genuis expressed concern that Canada's international reputation is being damaged by its "failures to uphold our obligations to protect the rights of people living with disabilities," particularly regarding euthanasia. 

On January 29, 2024, Conservative and NDP MPs released a report urging Ottawa not to expand assisted suicide legislation without sufficient provincial and expert consultations.

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Rebel News is crowdfunding a new documentary called 'MAID: The Dark Side of Canadian Compassion,' which will dive deep into the story of Trudeau's medical assistance in dying program that has struck vulnerable communities across Canada. We need your help to make it happen. Please choose your level of support and use this form to make your contribution.

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