My name is Alex Schadenberg. I'm the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. I work in Canada, but I also work with people worldwide who oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Canada is increasingly seen internationally as a cautionary example. The rapid growth of euthanasia deaths and the expansion of the types of cases are being closely watched abroad. Developments in Canada have influenced debates in other countries, including the defeat of assisted dying bills in Scotland, the U.K. House of Lords, and Slovenia, where assisted suicide was overturned through a referendum.
Rather than extending assisted dying to persons whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder, Parliament needs to examine how Canada's euthanasia law is actually functioning. How has the law been implemented? Is it achieving its intended outcomes? Are there abuses of the law based on its original intention? Does the law require amendments? These questions have never been addressed. We've only actually talked about expansions.
Dr. Ramona Coelho, in her article, dated January 5, 2026, published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, as a commentary on the “Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying”, stated:
Although the report emphasizes self-identified disability, all MAiD recipients are disabled by definition. Disability refers to any long-term impairment that limits participation in life. MAiD is legal for individuals with a “grievous and irremediable” condition, an incurable illness causing irreversible decline in capabilities. Anyone meeting these criteria is by definition disabled, though not all disabled people should qualify for MAiD.
Common conditions listed for Track 2 MAiD reinforce this point. Diabetes appears frequently, and Ontario's MDRC documented a man who received MAiD for an essential tremor. These are disabilities, yet they do not usually cause the serious decline that MAiD is intended to address. By emphasizing self-identified disability, the report obscures the real story: MAiD eligibility targets disabled people, a concern highlighted by the disability community, the United Nations and human rights watchdogs, and most recently, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
That UN committee has called for the repeal of track 2 MAID, increased oversight of the law and no further expansion, including the scheduled expansion of MAID for the sole criteria of mental illness.
For instance, Kiano Vafaeian, who was 26, died by euthanasia in Vancouver on December 30, 2025. Kiano was seeking assisted dying in Ontario where he lived, but his requests for MAID were rejected by multiple doctors in Ontario. He then contacted Dr. Ellen Wiebe in Vancouver, British Columbia, who assessed him and approved him for euthanasia.
Margaret Marsilla, Kiano's mother, was shocked that her son, who was living with type 1 diabetes, which did result in his becoming legally blind, was also living with significant mental health issues, which should have been assessed in his approval for MAID. Kiano was approved as a track 2 candidate for MAID. Kiano's family was never consulted, which is important, since he was living with depression and suicidal ideation.
If Kiano's death is the only disturbing MAID death, then one might suggest his death is an outlier. However, in fact, there have been many controversial MAID deaths.
Instead of expanding MAID further, Parliament needs to examine how the current law has led to outcomes such as the death of Kiano. Parliament needs to have a complete review of the law.
More broadly, Canada's assisted dying law is vague. While Health Canada provides guidance, the legal framework allows for wide interpretation, and it lacks effective oversight.
Because of the time constraints, I'll only highlight one key issue. Section 241.2(3) and section 241.2(3.1) of the Criminal Code state that medical practitioners or nurse practitioners are only required to be “of the opinion” that the eligibility criteria are met. Now, we're talking about life and death decisions here. That, in practice, makes accountability extremely difficult, and it makes it impossible to prosecute a medical or nurse practitioner in Canada, even when the MAID death is clearly wrong or deeply disturbing.
The MDRC reports from Ontario and cases that have already been submitted to you speak to that reality.
Canada should not be considering the expansion of MAID or of assisted dying to include people with mental illnesses alone, but rather, Parliament needs to fully review the law.
Thank you.