Humanist groups urge Ottawa to keep religion out of MAID policy

By AI, Created 5:17 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Humanist Canada, the British Columbia Humanist Association and Centre for Inquiry Canada are pressing the federal government to reject religious pressure on medical assistance in dying rules, including the planned expansion of eligibility for people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. The groups say Canada’s secular healthcare system and patients’ rights are at stake.

Why it matters: - Humanist Canada, the British Columbia Humanist Association and Centre for Inquiry Canada say MAID policy should be guided by medical evidence, legal precedent and patient experience, not religious lobbying. - The groups argue that religious influence over public healthcare can delay or block access to lawful care in publicly funded facilities. - The dispute is especially sensitive because the federal government has been preparing to extend MAID eligibility to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.

What happened: - The three organizations called on the federal government to uphold state religious neutrality in response to renewed efforts by the Catholic Church to influence MAID policy. - The groups responded to a public letter from the Archbishop of Toronto to the Prime Minister that urged Ottawa to block the planned MAID expansion for mental illness. - The coalition said religious institutions have repeatedly sought to impose theological restrictions on public healthcare.

The details: - The groups pointed to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Carter v Canada as establishing a right to a dignified death as part of liberty and security of the person. - Ian Bushfield, executive director of the BC Humanist Association, said the state has a constitutional duty to remain neutral on religion. - Bushfield said the BCHA is intervening in the O’Neill case to defend the principle that public healthcare must be governed by the Charter rather than the religious rules of care providers. - Janalee Morris, executive director of Humanist Canada, said access to MAID for people with mental illness should reflect equal dignity for all forms of irremediable suffering. - Edan Tasca, president of Centre for Inquiry Canada, said the government risks undermining the secular foundation of the healthcare system by entertaining religiously motivated appeals. - The groups said delays in expanding MAID eligibility have already caused prolonged distress for many Canadians. - The organizations also said denominational facilities use “institutional conscientious objection” to obstruct access in public care settings.

Between the lines: - The statement frames the MAID debate as a test of whether Canada’s healthcare system follows constitutional rights or allows faith-based institutions to shape public policy. - The groups are also drawing a line between free exercise of religion and the use of publicly funded healthcare spaces to deny care. - Their argument places patient autonomy and access ahead of objections from religious institutions.

What’s next: - The humanist coalition says it will keep pushing the federal government to protect MAID access and religious neutrality in healthcare. - The BCHA said its intervention in the O’Neill case is part of that effort. - Ottawa still faces pressure over how and when to move ahead with the planned expansion of MAID eligibility for mental illness as a sole underlying condition.

The bottom line: - Humanist groups want the government to treat MAID as a rights-and-medical issue, not a religious one.