Canadians remain broadly supportive of the country's original assisted dying law, but new polling suggests support weakens sharply when eligibility is expanded to include people who are not near death or those seeking MAiD for mental illness alone.
A new Angus Reid Institute survey released Monday found 77% of Canadians still support the original 2016 Medical Assistance in Dying framework, which applied to people whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable and who were suffering from a severe and irremediable condition.
Support drops for the 2021 expansion of MAiD, which removed the requirement that a person's natural death be reasonably foreseeable.
Canadians are even more divided over whether MAiD should be available when mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The survey found 43% support that expansion, while 39% oppose it and 19% are unsure.
The findings suggest Canadians remain generally supportive of assisted dying in principle, but are increasingly uncertain about how far the law should go.
Mental illness as a sole condition is currently scheduled to become eligible for MAID in 2027, but Angus Reid found most Canadians are unaware of the pending change.
Among Canadians who say they are following the issue, 46% support expanding MAiD to include mental illness alone, while 44% oppose it.
The poll also found widespread concern over whether vulnerable Canadians have adequate support before MAiD eligibility is expanded further.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, said government should be required to prove adequate housing, income supports and disability-related care are available to a person with a disability who requests MAiD.
Religious Canadians were more likely to express concern about the rising number of annual MAiD deaths. Angus Reid found 43% of religious Canadians were concerned about the increase, compared to 25% of non-religious Canadians.
The survey also found personal experience with MAiD affects public opinion. Canadians who know someone who used MAiD to end their life, representing 23% of respondents, were more likely to support each version of the law.
