QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
Medical Assistance in Dying
March 21, 2024
Madam Minister, hello. Thank you for being here today and for taking my question.
I want to reference Bill C-62, which was recently passed here in the Senate and received Royal Assent. This legislation has enabled a delay of up to three years to implement medical assistance in dying where the sole underlying condition is a mental disorder.
I understand this is early days for you, but can you report on what plans, if any, are being contemplated to redesign the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention given the complexity of the differentiation between suicidality and the right to access medical assistance in dying?
Thank you for the question. I would not necessarily put those two within the same framing of a question. Bill C-62 specifically referred to a delay on the implementation of mental illness as the sole determinant.
The federal government took all recommendations by the joint committee, both in this session and the last, in terms of ensuring that a robust framework and structure would be in place to train regulatory bodies and assessors toward those assessments when it comes to mental illness as the sole determinant.
That being said, hearing clearly from provinces and territories and also from Canadians about the readiness to go forward, we respected both the committee’s input and those of Canadians to make the decision of moving this to a three-year delay so that more implementation of modules can be done.
When it comes to the framework, we received the recommendations of the committee here at the Senate and we are reviewing them. The document that will be put forward as a framework will be evergreen. The changes and needs of Canadians when it comes to suicide prevention will change as our country changes. Nevertheless, I look forward to sharing the first iteration in spring 2024.
Thank you for that answer.
Subsequent to what you’ve said, have you been considering a strategic framework with your provincial counterparts to ensure that the delivery of medical assistance in dying under the circumstances related to a mental disorder in assessing the access vis-à-vis suicidality is consistent and fairly administered in all parts of this country?
Thank you for the question. What I will say is this: I believe in collaborative work. As mentioned previously, we’ve begun a process of having myself and my counterparts meet quarterly rather than only twice a year at the federal, provincial and territorial, or FPT, ministers’ meetings. We’re meeting up to six times per year to ensure that the work we do not only in suicide prevention but also in understanding the unique needs of each jurisdiction are heard and inputted into the frameworks that we will be putting forward. That includes the national suicide prevention framework. Also, when it comes to the assessments, modules and training that will be required for mental illness as a sole determinant, we keep our finger on the pulse and the conversations open. The modules are available. We’re tracking the training, and we will continue to work together.
