Events

MP Tamara Jansen, the sponsor of the incredibly important Bill C-218 which seeks to repeal euthanasia for the sole reason of mental illness and depression, recently posted the following update on her private member’s bill:

Dear Supporter,

I wanted to share an important update on Bill C-218 and thank you for continuing to stand with us.

Over the past several months, the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD) has heard from psychiatrists, legal experts, disability advocates, Indigenous leaders, suicide prevention experts, and Canadians with lived experience. Many of these witnesses raised serious concerns about the planned expansion of MAiD to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.

We have now reached a major milestone.

The committee has finished hearing from witnesses and is entering the report stage. Beginning Monday, committee members will review the draft report prepared by our clerks to ensure it accurately reflects the evidence we heard. From there, we will begin debating recommendations based on the committee's findings.

This is a critical moment.

Throughout discussions on Bill C-218, Liberal members repeatedly argued that Parliament should wait for the committee's final report before making any decisions. For that reason, we made a strategic decision to trade our original debate date with Conservative colleagues who generously agreed to switch positions in the order of precedence.

Why?

Because we wanted to remove every possible excuse for inaction.

We wanted to ensure that when Parliament debates Bill C-218, every Member of Parliament will have the benefit of the committee's final findings and recommendations.

We expect the committee's report to be tabled before Parliament rises for the summer.

As a result, the second hour of debate on Bill C-218 is now scheduled for September 28.

While I would have preferred to move sooner, this change gives us something incredibly valuable: time.

Time to continue building support. Time to meet with MPs from all political parties. Time to share the evidence. Time to ensure Canadians understand what is at stake.

Most importantly, it gives us time to build the case for change.

And for the first time since introducing Bill C-218, I can genuinely see a path forward.

There is still a great deal of work ahead of us, but I have had conversations with colleagues from different parties who are taking a fresh look at this issue. The evidence is becoming harder to ignore, and the conversation in Parliament is beginning to change.

My hope is that the committee's recommendations will reflect what so many witnesses told us: that psychiatric MAiD raises profound concerns and that Canada should not proceed with this expansion. If the committee reaches that conclusion, it will make support for Bill C-218 much easier to achieve.

I remain encouraged by the growing number of Canadians paying attention to this issue. We have also seen significant media coverage in recent months, helping bring these concerns to a much broader audience and encouraging more Canadians to ask important questions about the future of MAiD in Canada.

Recent News coverage:
Opposition to Assisted Suicide for Mental Illness Grows

The months ahead will be crucial.

If you would like to help us continue this work, I would be grateful for your support. Every contribution helps us continue sharing this message and building support across Canada.

Thank you for your encouragement, your prayers, and your support. Together, we are making a difference.

Warmly,
Tamara Jansen, MP
Cloverdale—Langley City