Dear Editor
Response to: Opinion: Canada's MAID law is out of control and must be rolled back - SaskToday.ca
What started as medical assistance in dying for those whose death is reasonably foreseeable in 2016, was amended to be more equitable and include those whose deaths are not reasonably foreseeable, or what we call Track 2 MAID, in 2021. Track 2 MAID was established as a result of a court case brought by two Canadians with disabilities who fought for the right to access MAID without being excluded on the basis of their diagnosis.
The criteria and safeguards in place for anyone who applies for MAID in Canada are clear and working. You must meet all the criteria, including that you have a grievous and irremediable medical condition, and you cannot be found eligible for MAID based on a lack of social supports. Any stories or reports that make this claim are false and deliberately trying to mislead the reader and malign Canada’s assisted dying legislation.
Recent data supports the reality that MAID in Canada is working and safe. The Office of the Chief Coroner in Ontario published a report that reviewed some of the more complex of 15,000 MAID cases and concluded that none of them received MAID outside of the rigorous criteria. The report also provided data that MAID recipients were actually less marginalized than people who die naturally, or people who live with chronic illnesses.
The effect of structural vulnerability on the lives of Canadians is a valid concern, but repealing MAID is not a solution. Instead, we should focus on policies that promote stable housing, income and food, pharmacare and dental care. We must also continue to address the barriers that still exist for MAID in Canada: 85 per cent of Canadians support advance requests for MAID and the ability to put in writing when they would want an assisted death after they lose capacity to consent, and the discriminatory exclusion of people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.
We believe that everyone should have both the right to live and the right to choose their end of life. Ultimately the choice of an assisted death is about compassion, avoiding suffering and the fundamental rights of an individual.
Helen Long, CEO
Dying With Dignity Canada
