The federal government is yet another delay in plans to extend Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to people with mental illness only. However, Health Minister Mark Holland did not give any indication about the new deadline.
Agreeing with the statement presented in the final report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Holland said on January 29 that the country is not yet ready to take such important steps.
The committee was reconstituted last year to check whether doctors are ready for this. They said the fundamental problems with this expansion have not yet been resolved. Practitioners of assisted death, medical professionals and regulatory bodies have completed substantial documentation work. The committee also received substantial evidence from stakeholders and they said the system was not yet ready.
According to the report, many practitioners are concerned about the challenge of assessing whether an illness is incurable.
There are still considerable questions about how evaluators distinguish between those seeking assisted death and those contemplating suicide. Senators and MPs on the committee also heard conflicting statements. The committee therefore recommended a full year of work before fixing the next date.
Holland said, the government will submit the law soon regarding the detailed plan. This must be done before the extension takes effect on March 17.
He said, we need more time. How much time do we think we will get to the point he says in the coming days?
