Major parties support law delaying assisted dying expansion

All major parties in the House of Commons are signalling they will support a Liberal bill that would further delay the expansion of medically assisted dying to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder.

Members of Parliament began debating the bill this week and it is expected to pass quickly, before a mid-March deadline.

An update to assisted dying law passed in March 2021 included a two-year sunset clause on provisions to expand eligibility to patients who only have mental disorders.

But Justice Minister David Lametti is now seeking a longer delay, to do more consultations and better prepare health-care systems to handle the cases of such patients.

Conservatives say they will support the bill, which extends the delay by another year, but they are arguing that the expansion should not happen at all.

The NDP and the Bloc Québécois have also signaled support for the delay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023.