News Analysis
While the policies around Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) are legislated by the federal government, recently two provinces have stepped into the administration of euthanasia, albeit with different priorities.
The province of Quebec is expanding the procedure further to allow patients to give advance requests for MAID before their medical conditions render them unable to provide consent, arguing that Ottawa has moved too slow on the issue. This technically puts Quebec’s MAID policy in violation of federal law, given that it goes against the Criminal Code’s definition of murder.
Meanwhile, Alberta is launching an online survey to collect feedback from residents on MAID laws amid concerns that the euthanasia regime is being expanded without sufficient oversight. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office said in 2023 that it opposed Ottawa’s plan to extend eligibility for medically assisted death to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. The province’s new online survey will seek to find out whether there is public support for a new public agency and legislation to oversee MAID and decision-dispute mechanisms for families….