Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today in support of Bill C-218, an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to medical assistance in dying.
In particular, petitioners note that the Government of Canada intends to expand medical assistance in dying, or euthanasia as it is otherwise known, to individuals whose only medical condition is a mental illness. Petitioners note that mental illness is treatable, recovery is possible and experts agree that it is impossible to predict if someone with mental illness will get better or not, and therefore whether it is truly irremediable or not. Expanding MAID to people with mental illness as their only underlying condition suggests that some lives are beyond saving.
Therefore, petitioners are asking the government to pass Bill C-218 to stop the expansion of MAID to those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.