Canada's MAID program has expanded dangerously beyond its original scope and lacks proper safeguards
Source: Chris Bray. "Canada's MAID Program Is An Express Train To Hell." May 27, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Canada's assisted dying program has grown too big too fast and is being used in wrong situations. Instead of just helping terminally ill people, it's now being offered to people with mental health issues or those who just need better social services.
Conclusion
Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program has become a dangerous system that is expanding beyond appropriate boundaries and lacks adequate oversight
Premises
- MAID deaths have increased dramatically from 2% of all Canadian deaths in 2019 to 3.3% by 2021, with some areas reporting rates upwards of 7%
- Canada now leads the world in yearly reported assisted deaths with 10,064 MAID deaths in 2021
- The program is expanding to include people with only mental illness (no terminal condition) starting March 17, 2027
- MAID is being offered inappropriately to people who need medical services rather than death, such as a veteran seeking a wheelchair ramp
- Questionable cases include euthanasia for hearing/cognitive disabilities with depression and a woman who received MAID after a concussion
- Professional standards are inadequate, as evidenced by Dr. MacLean conducting assessments at Tim Hortons and performing procedures in industrial facilities with minimal supervision
Assumptions
- Rapid expansion of euthanasia programs indicates systemic problems rather than appropriate medical progress
- Medical assistance in dying should be limited to terminal illnesses and severe physical suffering
- Offering death as a solution to social problems (like lack of wheelchair ramps) is morally wrong
- Professional medical standards for life-ending procedures should be extremely rigorous
- The current trajectory will lead to further inappropriate expansions of the program