{"id":924573,"date":"2026-10-07T23:12:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T23:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/924573\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T23:12:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T23:12:26","slug":"politics-insider-ottawa-to-ban-maid-solely-for-mental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/924573\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics Insider: Ottawa to ban MAID solely for mental illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let\u2019s look at what happened today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the government will table legislation this fall that will indefinitely bar medical assistance in dying for patients whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-maid-access-mental-illness-legislation\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-maid-access-mental-illness-legislation\/\">As Stephanie Levitz and Kristy Kirkup report<\/a>, Fraser also announced that the government\u2019s bill will include measures on advance requests for patients who will lose cognitive capacity to be able to consent to the procedure later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">He said that future legislation will look to amend the Criminal Code of Canada, which currently criminalizes medical practitioners who perform MAID when there is an advance request.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The minister said he expects this to spur a conversation at the provincial level on whether they will extend services with \u201cthe full knowledge that the doctors who provide the services will not be treated as criminals for doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Fraser, who did not specify a date for tabling the legislation, said Ottawa believes this is the correct approach to take at this particular time. Regarding MAID for patients with mental illness, he cited continuing concerns about inadequate access to mental-health services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Meanwhile, the Liberals (save two MPs) voted against a Conservative bill today that would have amended the Criminal Code section covering MAID to read that \u201ca mental disorder is not a grievous and irremediable medical condition.\u201d The Liberals had said the term mental disorder was too broad.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display:block\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/resizer\/v2\/7GPESEES5ZEOTARHDNA2EW7HOQ.JPG?auth=222df42a7f4f78ef36d09c15529f2243499298606283e13c113c5f6a706624e7&amp;width=600&amp;height=400&amp;quality=80&amp;smart=true\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" data-photo-viewer-index=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"figcap-text\">Minister of Justice Sean Fraser speaks as Minister of Health Marjorie Michel looks on during a media availability on Wednesday.Justin Tang\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<p>This is the daily Politics Insider newsletter, curated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/authors\/ian-bailey\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ian Bailey<\/a>. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. You can sign up for more than 20 other newsletters on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/newsletters\/?utm_source=Arcnewsletter&amp;utm_medium=onsite&amp;utm_campaign=fixed_positions&amp;utm_term=signuppage&amp;utm_content=politics_promo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">our signup page<\/a>.What else is going on<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-canada-drops-sponsorship-of-conference-that-talks-of-us-as-foreign\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-canada-drops-sponsorship-of-conference-that-talks-of-us-as-foreign\/\">Canada drops sponsorship of conference that talks of U.S. as foreign interference actor<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Ottawa has withdrawn its sponsorship of an anti-disinformation conference in Lithuania that feature panels talking about the United States as a foreign interference threat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/business\/article-cleveland-cliffs-dismisses-nationalizing-stelco-ottawa-jobs\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/business\/article-cleveland-cliffs-dismisses-nationalizing-stelco-ottawa-jobs\/\">Cleveland-Cliffs boss dismisses idea of nationalizing steel company Stelco<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The U.S. steelmaker said last week it was planning to lay off as many as 500 steel workers at Stelco in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ont., in large part because it can\u2019t compete any more in galvanized steel as a result of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/topics\/trade-and-commerce\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/topics\/trade-and-commerce\/\" target=\"_blank\">trade<\/a> war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-messaging-service-signal-says-ministers-changes-to-lawful-access-bill\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-messaging-service-signal-says-ministers-changes-to-lawful-access-bill\/\">Messaging service Signal says changes to lawful access bill will not keep it in Canada<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The secure messaging service Signal says government amendments to the lawful access bill are insufficient to persuade it not to withdraw from Canada.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">On our radar<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister\u2019s Day: Mark Carney attended the Liberals\u2019 weekly caucus meeting as well as Question Period, where he defended his record after 18 months in office.Party Leaders: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in the Commons, taking on the Prime Minister over cost-of-living concerns and trying to pass his party\u2019s motion to extend federal relief on diesel fuel (which didn\u2019t pass.) NDP Leader Avi Lewis will be in Parliament Thursday, speaking out against the government\u2019s new economic legislation, Bill C-39, alongside labour, environmental and Indigenous representatives. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is also set to speak Thursday about the bill, which intends to fast-track major projects and infrastructure development.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-foreign-influence-watchdog-reached-out-to-alberta-separatist-group\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-foreign-influence-watchdog-reached-out-to-alberta-separatist-group\/\">Foreign influence watchdog reaches out to Alberta separatists<\/a>: Canada\u2019s new foreign influence watchdog has reached out to the Alberta Prosperity Project, one of the separatist groups that previously met with the U.S. State Department in its quest to steer the province to independence.Quote(s) of the Day<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cI have to keep reminding the Leader of the Opposition that I just got here.\u201d &#8211; Prime Minister Mark Carney, countering Pierre Poilievre\u2019s criticisms of his time in office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">\u201cThe guy who said he was going to build at unimaginable speeds says he just got here after 18 months.\u201d &#8211; Poilievre countering Carney\u2019s contention that he\u2019s just arrived after coming to power in March, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Question period<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">When did MAID (medical assistance in dying) first become legal in Canada?<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Perspectives<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-theres-nothing-to-praise-about-the-oct-7-attacks-a-canadian-literary\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-theres-nothing-to-praise-about-the-oct-7-attacks-a-canadian-literary\/\">There\u2019s nothing to praise about the Oct. 7 attacks<\/a>. A Canadian literary journal disagrees<\/p>\n<p class=\"ma-0\">I found this hard to read. But not nearly as difficult as other reading I\u2019ve done about that day.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marsha Lederman<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-the-weakness-of-its-mandate-will-not-deter-the-pq-from-the-chaos-and\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-the-weakness-of-its-mandate-will-not-deter-the-pq-from-the-chaos-and\/\">weakness of its mandate will not deter the PQ <\/a>from the chaos and division of its project <\/p>\n<p class=\"ma-0\">That the PQ did not win a majority will not stop it from using the powers to which it now has access, in any way it can, to promote the separation of the province.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Coyne<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-is-steven-galloway-finally-getting-justice\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/opinion\/article-is-steven-galloway-finally-getting-justice\/\">Is Steven Galloway finally getting justice?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"ma-0\">A witch-hunt was underway.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Gary MasonGo deeper<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">Got a news tip that you\u2019d like us to look into? E-mail us at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-politics-insider-ottawa-to-ban-maid-solely-for-mental-illness\/mailto:tips@globeandmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">tips@globeandmail.com<\/a>. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via <a href=\"https:\/\/sec.theglobeandmail.com\/securedrop\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SecureDrop<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-article-body__text text-pr-5\">The answer to today\u2019s question: MAID first became legal in Canada in June, 2016, for Canadians whose deaths were deemed \u201creasonably foreseeable.\u201d In 2021, the law was updated after a Quebec court decision allowed patients with incurable conditions to seek to end their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let\u2019s look at what happened today. Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the government&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":924574,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194295],"tags":[49,48,1412,2922,1398,20739],"class_list":["post-924573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ottawa","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-newsletter","tag-noastack","tag-nodelphi","tag-ottawa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=924573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/924574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=924573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=924573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=924573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}