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Justice

During Question Period on justice matters, members debated whether medical assistance in dying should be available to people whose only medical condition is a mental illness. Pierre Poilievre said people with depression and mental health issues need hope, noted that a private member’s bill would prevent this practice, and asked whether the Prime Minister would support the bill. Sean Fraser, for the Liberals, thanked the bill’s sponsor and announced that the government would exclude medical assistance in dying where mental illness is the sole condition, saying it would bring forward its own legislation this fall to keep that exclusion in place.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

2 statements

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“People with mental illness need hope, not help to die. A Conservative bill would stop the government from allowing medically assisted dying just for mental illness. Will the Prime Minister vote for this bill today?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, people going through depression and mental health issues go through the darkest valleys. They need hope. Several years ago, the Liberal government legalized medical assistance in dying for people whose only condition is mental illness. Many people would not be with us today if that policy had been in place before. The Conservative member of Parliament for Cloverdale—Langley City has put forward a bill to stop that from happening and protect the people who are most vulnerable. Will the Prime Minister announce that he will vote for that bill today, for hope, for life and for a better future for the people suffering?

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Sean Fraser

Liberal

Linked statement

“We will not allow medically assisted dying for people whose only condition is mental illness. I announced this today, and we will introduce our own bill this fall to keep this rule in place.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the private member’s bill for starting a conversation on a very important issue. I am pleased to share with the Leader of the Opposition that just a few hours ago, I announced that Canada would be moving forward with the exclusion of medical assistance in dying for people who are seeking that on the sole basis of a mental illness. We are going to be moving forward legislation that we will put forward during this fall sitting to ensure that the law maintains that exclusion in an indeterminate way.

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