A parliamentary committee recommended Canada amend the eligibility criteria for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to allow minors who have the "requisite decision-making capacity.".Members of the committee studying the issue released a report Wednesday that made 23 recommendations to improve Canada’s MAiD regime. Chief among the recommendations was to appoint an independent expert panel to evaluate Criminal Code provisions for assisted death for “mature minors,” but restrict access to those “whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable.”.It also recommends the Liberal government improve access to palliative care and boost financial support for people with disabilities. It warned without more financial support and access to social supports, a person with disabilities might see MAiD as a way to "relieve suffering due to poverty and lack of services.”.The report also recommends better engagement with indigenous communities and persons with disabilities on how Canada’s assisted-dying program works..To come up with the recommendations, the committee held 36 meetings, heard from nearly 150 witnesses and reviewed more than 350 briefs on the medically assisted dying program..The recommendations come just a few days after an Angus Reid report found more than half of Canadians oppose a proposed expansion MAiD that provide coverage to those suffering solely from mental illness. The survey found 61% of Canadians support MAiD in its current form, but support drops to 31% when they are asked if assisted death should be available for those suffering from "irremediable" mental illnesses..Earlier this month, the federal government introduced a bill delaying the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to Canadians whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder.."The safety of Canadians must come first, which is why we're taking additional time to get this right," said Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti (LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, QC) on Bill C-39.."Protecting the safety and security of vulnerable people, and supporting individual autonomy and freedom of choice, are central to Canada's MAiD regime."
