For immediate release from the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada
November 10, 2026
Ottawa, ON – Yesterday, the Saskatchewan government introduced Bill 73 to establish provincial safeguards around Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). The bill prohibits MAID for anyone under age 18, for those suffering solely from a mental illness, and for those who lack the capacity to make their own health-care decisions. It also protects medical professionals from any disciplinary action for refusing to provide or assist in the provision of MAID.
“We are happy to see another provincial government understand their responsibility to prevent the abuse of MAID by clarifying safeguards,” says Daniel Zekveld, Policy Analyst for ARPA Canada. “The law permitting MAID has been expanded by the federal government several times – now seeking to allow advance euthanasia requests in the current Bill C-41 – and the number of MAID deaths in every province continues to rise. It is good to see another provincial government step in to protect vulnerable Canadians.”
“The scheduled expansion of MAID to those suffering solely from a mental illness has been a great cause for concern,” explains Levi Minderhoud, another Policy Analyst for ARPA Canada. “Governments, businesses, and non-profits have really stepped up in recent years to promote mental health supports and suicide prevention for those who are struggling. This is the right, life-affirming, and caring approach that a compassionate society should take in the face of mental illness.
“There are also great concerns about whether mental illness is remediable and whether the presence of a mental illness prevents someone from giving truly informed consent to this life-ending intervention,” continues Minderhoud. “The government of Saskatchewan is right to focus on suicide prevention, rather than assisted suicide, by prohibiting MAID for mental illness. The federal government has waffled on this for many years, so it is good for Saskatchewan to firmly say that, regardless of what the federal government ends up doing, it will not provide MAID for mental illness.”
“Right now the federal government is considering legalizing MAID by advance requests,” notes Zekveld. “Advance requests permit someone to request MAID now when they are able to give consent and receive MAID when they are no longer able to give consent. We commend the government of Saskatchewan for protecting those who lack capacity from MAID.”
“Furthermore, we have long heard from doctors who morally object to participate in MAID,” says Zekveld. “Manitoba has passed solid legislation further clarifying and protecting the conscience rights of medical professionals around MAID, and it is good to see another province making these conscience protections more robust.”
“Overall, we are happy to see the government of Saskatchewan making these crucial changes,” says Minderhoud, “though the government could have done more to protect vulnerable people. One important change not included in Bill 73 is limiting MAID only to those with less than 6 months to live. Such a change would address repeated calls from the disability community as well as the United Nations to not permit MAID for those with a non-terminal disability.”
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For further comment or interviews, please contact Daniel Zekveld at [email protected], or at 1-866-691-2772
The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada has a long history of involvement with euthanasia laws and policies in Canada. ARPA was granted intervenor standing at the Supreme Court of Canada in the Carter case in 2016. They have also provided a variety of policy reports, research, and analysis on the topic. In 2020, ARPA launched the Care Not Kill campaign, a national grassroots initiative that educates Canadians on the harms of euthanasia and equips them to engage respectfully on this sensitive topic.
