No, MAID is not being debated in Canadian Parliament now. The last time MAID was debated in Parliament was in March 2021, when former Bill C-7 was passed to revise the eligibility criteria and the process of assessment for MAID. This bill was introduced in response to the Superior Court of Québec’s 2019 Truchon decision, which found the “reasonable foreseeability of natural death” eligibility criterion in the Criminal Code to be unconstitutional¹. The bill also removed the 10-day waiting period between requesting and receiving MAID for those whose death is reasonably foreseeable, and allowed for advance consent for those who may lose their capacity to consent before receiving MAID².

However, the government recently introduced legislation to extend the temporary exclusion of eligibility for MAID where a person’s sole medical condition is a mental illness until March 17, 2024. This proposed one-year extension would provide additional time to prepare for the safe and consistent assessment and provision of MAID for persons suffering solely from a mental illness and allow time to consider the Special Joint Committee on MAID’s final report, expected in February 2023³. This legislation has not yet been debated in Parliament.

The key MPs overseeing the MAID program or bill are:

• The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, who introduced Bill C-7 in February 2020 and announced its Royal Assent in March 2021¹.
• The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, who co-announced the Royal Assent of Bill C-7 with Minister Lametti¹.
• The Honourable Anthony Housefather, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, who led the committee’s review of Bill C-7 and reported it back with amendments in May 2016 and December 2020²³.
• The Honourable Serge Joyal, former Senator and Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, who led the committee’s pre-study and review of Bill C-7 and reported it back with amendments in June 2016 and February 2021²⁴.
• The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator and Deputy Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, who co-led the committee’s pre-study and review of Bill C-7 with Senator Joyal²⁴.

Some of the conservatives that are debating and or criticizing the MAID bill are:

• Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Leader, who said he would repeal any law allowing MAID for mental illness if he became prime minister¹.
• Ed Fast, a British Columbia MP, who proposed a private member’s bill to repeal the expansion of MAID to those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable¹.
• Members of the Conservative Party on the special committee studying the limitations of MAID, who wanted to hear from those who have suffered because of medical non-compliance with its procedural safeguards².

To contact your MP about this issue, you need to find out who your MP is and how to reach them. You can use the following steps:

• Go to Elections Canada and enter your postal code to find out who your MP is and which riding you belong to.
• Go to House of Commons of Canada and click on the “List of Members of Parliament” link to find your MP’s name, party affiliation, email address, and phone number.
• You can also click on your MP’s name to see their profile, biography, parliamentary roles, speeches, votes, and expenses.
• You can write or fax a letter to your MP at the following address:

[Name of Member of Parliament] House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A6

• You can also email or call your MP using the contact information provided on their profile page.
• You can also request a meeting with your MP by contacting their constituency office or their Ottawa office. You can find the address and phone number of their offices on their profile page as well.

When you contact your MP, you should:

• Introduce yourself and explain why you are contacting them.
• Be clear and concise about the issue you want to discuss and what you want them to do about it.
• Provide relevant facts and evidence to support your position and request.
• Be respectful and polite, even if you disagree with their views or actions.
• Thank them for their time and attention.

If you want to get involved in the debate on MAID, you can do the following things:

• You can educate yourself on the facts and the arguments of both sides of the issue. You can use the web search results I provided to learn more about the current law, the eligibility criteria, the safeguards, and the challenges and controversies surrounding MAID. You can also visit the websites of organizations that advocate for or against MAID, such as Dying With Dignity Canada or [Euthanasia Prevention Coalition], to see their perspectives and resources.
• You can express your opinion and share your personal stories on social media, blogs, podcasts, letters to the editor, or other platforms. You can use hashtags such as #MAID, #AssistedDying, #EndOfLifeChoice, or #NoToEuthanasia to join the online conversation and reach a wider audience. You can also tag or contact your local MP, MLA, MPP, or MNA to let them know your views and ask them to represent your voice in Parliament.
• You can participate in public consultations, surveys, petitions, or campaigns that are related to MAID. For example, you can sign up for [Dying With Dignity Canada’s action network] to receive updates and opportunities to take action on MAID issues. You can also check the [Government of Canada’s consultations website] to see if there are any ongoing or upcoming consultations on MAID or related topics.
• You can join or support a group or organization that aligns with your values and beliefs on MAID. You can volunteer, donate, fundraise, or advocate for them. You can also attend their events, webinars, workshops, or conferences to learn more and network with other like-minded people.
• You can talk to your family, friends, health care providers, or spiritual advisors about your wishes and preferences regarding MAID. You can also prepare an advance care plan that outlines your goals of care and your instructions for end-of-life care. You can use tools such as [My Voice] or [Speak Up] to help you create your advance care plan.