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Chris Selley: The euthanasia committee did its job. Now it's Parliament's turn

Canada's inability to help desperate people doesn't make death-by-government a suitable option

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The special joint committee on medical assistance in dying’s latest report, released Wednesday afternoon, takes a long, thoughtful and occasionally befuddling path to the simple and correct recommendation: “That the government of Canada amend the Criminal Code to indefinitely exclude persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness from eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID).”

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In arriving there, it explores an intriguing philosophical and medical debate: Can doctors accurately distinguish between mental illness and suicidality? I don’t think it’s particularly relevant to the question who should be eligible for euthanasia, which the federal government has punted into the future twice, but it’s intriguing nonetheless. (The joint committee moots yet another punt as one of four options, but thankfully rejects it. People who are suffering terribly with mental illness, and desire euthanasia, at least deserve not being strung along year after year.)

Chris Selley: The euthanasia committee did its job. Now it's Parliament's turn Back to video

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