Tories renew push to block state-sanctioned suicide for mental illness

Conservative MPs Tamara Jansen (Cloverdale-Langley City, BC) and Andrew Lawton (Elgin-St. Thomas-London South, ON) have reintroduced Bill C-218, which would amend the Criminal Code to prevent mental illness from qualifying as the sole criterion for medical assistance in dying (MAiD).Lawton, speaking at a press conference Wednesday, said he is a suicide survivor, having attempted to kill himself in 2010 after a battle with his mental health. He said if MAiD had been an option back then, he might have been tempted to accept it.“C-18 will save lives,” said Lawton.“Fifteen years ago, I very nearly succeeded in ending my life to suicide,” he said, explaining this was the culmination of a years-long battle with mental illness..MAiD NUMBERS RELEASED: More than 15K Canadians died from state suicide in 2023, up 15%.Lawton explained that when someone tells a medical practitioner they are suicidal, a legal and ethical responsibility to treat that person comes along with it.He said there needs to be a differentiation between “someone with suicidal ideation who needs to be stopped, and supported” and someone who actively seeks MAiD.“People who went through what I went through 15 years ago believe that their life would get better,” said Lawton.“I never would have believed (then) that I would be standing here today as a member of Parliament, as a husband, as someone that has a life I am so happy with.”“And that’s only because I had the care and support I needed to go through what I did and come out the other side.”“The message that I share with anyone struggling with mental illness is that I got better.”“There is hope.”“The people struggling have a right to recovery.”“I am not convinced that I would be here today if MAiD were available 15 years ago for people with mental illness.”.WATCH: Senate debates MAiD being broached by doctors to Nova Scotia woman battling breast cancer .Tory leader Pierre Poilievre reposted Lawton’s tweet about the press conference, endorsing the bill.“MP Tamara Jansen’s The Right to Recover Act will save countless lives,” wrote Poilievre.“It says that mental illness is not sufficient grounds for Medical Assistance in Dying. Thanks to MP Andrew Lawton for courageously sharing his story.”“Our loved ones suffering with their mental health deserve support, not assisted death from the government. Recovery is possible. We will not give up on them.”Poilievre has consistently opposed expanding MAiD, especially for mental illness. In 2021, he voted against Bill C-7, which removed the requirement that death be “reasonably foreseeable.”He also opposed Senate amendments that opened the door to MAiD for mental disorders alone. As Conservative leader, he pledged in 2024 to repeal any MAiD expansion for mental illness, calling it “reckless” and warning it could put vulnerable Canadians at risk. He has framed the policy as a failure of mental health care, arguing that “help and hope” should replace “state-facilitated death.”.“I think we need to put a human face on this. This isn't just an abstract thing. This is something that affects very real people and very real stories that are not just my own, but shared by millions of Canadians and their families,” Lawton told the Western Standard Thursday.Lawton said the bill has been slotted in for debate and a second reading in the fall parliamentary session, and they are estimating that it will take place in November or December.He added he is hoping for a cross-party appeal, which means MPs can vote with their convictions rather than based on party lines.“So I'm hoping we can build off of that and get some more support from Liberal members of parliament so that we can just pass this. This is too important to be a partisan issue,” said Lawton.He clarified the criterion of mental illness in the MAiD legislation originated in the Senate.“The Senate added this in, and there was a rigorous debate trying to just take this amendment off the bill. And the compromise was, ‘let's just put in a date at which it will come into effect, in hopes that we can figure out the details between now and then,’” said Lawton.He added the government has had to delay this twice. The current implementation date is March of 2027.“We can't just fine-tune some details between now and then and make this work. It's based on a fundamentally flawed premise that people with mental illness should be facilitated in a desire to die, rather than treated and supported so they don't want to end their lives,” he said.The Tories plan to launch a larger social media campaign to raise awareness on the issue. Resources will be available for people to connect with their MPs, regardless of party, emphasized Lawton, to urge them to support this issue..WATCH: MAiD doctor laughs after euthanizing 400 Canadians .The private member’s bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on June 20, with a second reading scheduled for the fall.It seeks to reverse a 2024 law that permits MAiD for individuals whose only condition is a mental disorder.The Right to Recover Act emphasizes the need for enhanced mental health care and support instead of euthanasia.The bill's reintroduction follows a previous attempt by former MP Ed Fast, which garnered significant support but ultimately did not pass..Quebec bypasses criminal code in new MAiD rules allowing euthanasia for unresponsive patients