Quebec’s MAID example worth following

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/11/2024 (575 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While the Quebec government’s determination to pursue its secular goals and objectives may be frustrating for federal Health Minister Mark Holland, it is bringing hope to the many Quebec residents facing the slow and dehumanizing effects of dementia, Alzheimer’s and chronic mental-health issues.

The federal minister’s decision to launch another round of “consultations” is a costly and unfortunate one for too many Canadians living in fear of their future. The Quebec government, in announcing its intention to allow advanced assisted- dying decisions, is directly challenging the federal government — and good for them. The fact is the federal government has already consulted extensively with experts. There is no need for another round of consultations, for two reasons.

First, in 2021, after introducing a bill that would have allowed advanced MAID directives for those suffering long-term mental and physical pain, the federal government convened a panel of experts to consider the effect of Bill C-7s provisions. The bill included the extension of eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID) to individuals with a “ grievous and irremediable medical condition whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable.”

The “expert panel” was to explore whether providing for advance MAID requests based on chronic mental disorders, like dementia and mental illness, justified delaying implementation of the original legislation as proposed. The panel submitted its report in 2022. Its conclusions were supported by a dozen panelists, experts in medicine, law, mental illness and mental health. They determined that, “further delay would not be necessary.”

The Quebec government’s decision to proceed, without supportive legislation at the federal level, reflects the fact that the Liberal government, and perhaps other federal parties, are out of step with what the majority of Canadians want. Overwhelmingly, they want people to have the right to end their lives with dignity. More than 45,000 Canadians have already made that choice.

Second, the government’s reluctance to implement Bill C-7 makes no sense. The very professionals charged with supporting people through the MAID process are overwhelmingly in favour of including advanced requests for MAID. Moreover, an April 2024 poll has confirmed that support for MAID is increasing in Canada, with 84 per cent of Canadians currently supporting assisted dying legislation. A similar number of Canadians, 83 per cent, support advanced requests for MAID for those whose deaths are not immediately foreseeable, but whose life circumstance are or will become unbearable. How much more definitive must Canadians be for the minister to heed the direction being given? Canadians support MAID and the use of advance MAID directives.

Holland seems determined to leave too many Canadians with no hope of assisted dying by virtue of their losing the ability, or deemed competency, to make such a decision for themselves. Advanced MAID requests mean that no one need face the ignominy of a life with no real connection to their family or community, and no way out. The absence of advanced MAID means forcing those with chronic, debilitating pain to live with no way out. That is the reality that has led so many Canadians to support MAID legislation.

No one, certainly not the minister of health, has a better perspective than the lived experience of the thousands of Canadian families who have supported family members in taking advantage of the MAID provisions. Nor does the minister have a better understanding of what this end-of-life option means for those using it, than the staff — doctors, nurses, mental-health professionals who work with individuals who chose MAID for themselves and support its mandate.

As someone who has watched a loved one waste away in pain, and finally lose contact with everyone she loved, MAID seems like an honourable and compassionate way out. Denying people the hope of a peaceful exit, on their own terms, is a selfish and inexplicable use of power.

For the minister to be asking for more study is a cruel and arbitrary exercising of his authority.

Let’s follow Quebec’s example now, and give people an end-of-life choice suited to their needs, not the political needs of the minister or his government.

Jerry Storie is a former educator and lives in Winnipeg.