Maintaining public support will require tightening the original MAID legislation, but instead the Trudeau government expanded it

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Prime Minister Mark Carney has displayed a remarkable willingness to dismantle the legacy of his predecessor across the public policy board.

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In the coming months, he may be tempted to take another look at one of the more indefensible decisions made by former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government: the expansion of its medical assistance in dying legislation.

Opinion polls suggest there is a consensus of support in Canada for the original MAID legislation that the Liberals introduced in 2016, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Carter decision. Polls indicate that three in four Canadians are in favour of allowing a person to seek MAID if they are over 18; deemed competent; suffer from a “grievous and irremediable” medical condition; and have given informed consent.

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But support drains away when those tight guidelines are loosened to include those who are suffering from mental illness as the sole underlying condition (42 per cent) or societal reasons such as homelessness (26 per cent) or poverty (25 per cent).

The problem is, the law of the land currently says MAID will be extended to people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness in 2027, while........

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