Inclusion Alberta welcomes proposed changes to MAiD

By ZOE MASON on March 20, 2026.

zmason@medicinehatnews.com

Inclusion Alberta is applauding a bill tabled this week that would implement new restrictions on the provision of medical assistance in dying.

Mental health and disability advocacy groups have largely protested the expansion 2021 expansion of Canada’s MAiD policy to include individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness or for individuals with disabilities whose death is not reasonably foreseeable.

These circumstances are currently sufficient to qualify an individual for MAiD under “Track 2” according to federal guidelines. Bill 18 proposes to eliminate Track 2 MAiD.

“It’s a huge step forward,” said Inclusion Alberta director of public engagement and community affairs Philip Ney. “It’s going to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer discriminated against. Now we’re going to treat the suffering of all Albertans equally, and people with disabilities won’t have to worry that on the basis of a disability, the response offered to their suffering will be Track 2 MAiD rather than advocacy and assistance to get the supports they need.”

Since adopting Track 2 MaiD in 2021, several groups have called upon Canada to repeal or restrict the policy, including the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Canadian Mental Health Association also advocated against the federal government’s planned expansion of MAiD to include access for people seeking it on the basis of relief from a mental illness.

That postponement is due to expire Mar. 18, 2027. The government of Alberta says Bill 18 is designed in part to pre-empt that expansion, which it says it expects the federal government to adopt after the deadline.

Both Inclusion Canada and Inclusion Alberta released statements in support of the new legislation Wednesday.

Inclusion Alberta called the bill “an affirmation that every life has equal value and that disability must never serve as a justification for state-facilitated death.”

Ney said most Canadians think about MAiD in the context of people who are dying, and haven’t considered the discriminatory effect that Track 2 MAiD had on people with disabilities.

“Since Track 2 MAiD began five years ago, we’ve been hearing from people with disabilities who felt unsafe in their interactions with the medical system, because when they go to receive treatment, an assumption could be made that dying might be preferable to that person on the basis of their having a disability.”

Ney says Bill 18 provides an opportunity to address ableism in health care by requiring new trainings for MAiD providers and assessors.

He also hopes it serves as a jumping-off point for widespread discussions about how individuals with disabilities are treated in our social systems.

“I think this should confront Canadians with the question: Why? Why has Canadian society accepted that people with disabilities want help ending their lives, but we do little to support advocacy to fix the systemic inequities, poverty, discrimination, lack of housing and inadequate supports that cause their suffering?”

Government is one piece of that, Ney says, and his organization has been lobbying for more funding for key programs and a pause on the legislated changes to the Assured Income for the Handicapped program.

But he says he hopes Bill 18 also spurs Canadians to contribute to community action to support those in need.

Employers, recreation providers and schools are just a few institutions Ney says can take proactive steps to fostering inclusion.

According to federal data, individuals seeking out Track 2 MAiD were overwhelmingly impacted by poverty and social isolation, conditions that disproportionately affect people with disabilities.

Other stakeholders have yet to issue a formal stance on changes outlined in the bill.

In an email to the News, the Alberta Medical Association said it is taking some time to review the legislation.

“There are many elements to the proposed legislation and as such I do not expect that we will have anything to say until we’ve given it careful review,” reads the email.

The Alberta NDP released a similar statement, saying more time is needed to review the policy with stakeholders and understand its implications.

“Medical Assistance in Dying affects people, families and communities during some of the hardest times in their lives,” reads a joint statement from the NDP Shadow Ministers for justice, mental health and addictions, and community and social services.

“Alberta’s New Democrats recognize the need for proper guardrails and oversight for people to access it. We recognize there are many different perspectives on MAiD, and we are committed to listening to and respecting the communities affected by this legislation.”

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