Canadian evangelicals are being urged to contact their local MPs to express concern over plans to extend assisted suicide to people with mental illness.
Changes to the eligibility criteria for euthanasia and assisted suicide will be expanded to cover mental illness as a sole underlying condition from March 17, 2027.
With the deadline under eight months away, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) said that the summer recess offers a vital opportunity for constituents to advocate while MPs are meeting with people in their local ridings.
The call to action follows a report tabled in June by a parliamentary committee recommending an indefinite delay to the mental illness expansion. While the recommendation marked a positive development for opponents of the legislation, the federal government has yet to adopt the committee's proposal.
Meanwhile, pro-euthanasia advocacy groups, including Dying with Dignity, are actively pressing the government to allow the expansion to proceed as planned.
The EFC emphasized that grassroots advocacy can play a crucial role in determining the outcome when Parliament resumes in the fall.
When the House of Commons reconvenes in late September, lawmakers are expected to debate and vote on Bill C-218, a private member’s bill that would amend the Criminal Code to permanently exclude mental illness from MAiD eligibility.
In an update to supporters, EFC editor Rachel Baarda encouraged believers to contact their representatives to advocate for an indefinite pause or a complete reversal of the law.
The EFC said even brief contact with constituency offices could help ensure MPs are aware of voters’ concerns about mental healthcare and the protection of vulnerable people.
“As Canadians, we have the opportunity to shape what happens next, to be part of this process,” the EFC stated.
“The door is open for an indefinite delay to MAiD for mental illness, if not a reversal of the expansion. Let’s encourage our country to move towards offering care and support for those struggling with mental illness, rather than offering death via MAiD.”
