Authored by Matthew Horwood via The Epoch Times,
Conservative MP Bob Zimmer said his father was offered medical assistance in dying (MAID) toward the end of his life without asking for it, prompting the MP to question whether safeguards for the procedure are being followed.
Zimmer said on X that his family was preparing to bring his father home from the hospital, as he "was about to pass away and he wanted to be at home to be more comfortable."
While they were waiting, a nurse "approached us and offered MAID to him," despite his father having not asked for the procedure, the MP for B.C.'s Prince George - Peace River - Northern Rockies riding said.
"I was disgusted. All the warnings about MAID we debated in the [House of Commons] and warned would happen with the change in legislation and the Liberals said would never happen [...] are happening," he said.
An official from the justice minister's office told The Epoch Times that the law allows for health practitioners to provide eligible Canadians with the option for MAID. He said if Zimmer suspected wrongdoing or malpractice, he could raise it with the B.C. Ministry of Health's MAID Oversight Unit, which could then investigate.
Zimmer's testimonial was in response to a Leger survey that found one in 10 Canadians know someone who has been offered MAID for a treatable condition. Those surveyed were also asked if they knew someone in Canada who died due to a long healthcare waitlist, and 18 percent of those people said "yes."
The federal government, meanwhile, has tabled legislation to allow Canadians to make advance requests for MAID. The MAID Safeguards Act would allow individuals to provide advance consent for euthanasia after receiving a diagnosis of an incurable illness expected to impair their future decision-making ability, such as Alzheimer's or other degenerative neurological disorders.
The Justice Department has said that if a person shows a "clear refusal or resistance to MAID," then the advance request would be invalid and the procedure would not be provided. An advance request would not guarantee approval for MAID.
The legislation would also indefinitely extend the exclusion of people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness from MAID eligibility. The exclusion is currently scheduled to expire on March 17, 2027, after two extensions prompted by concerns from provinces, territories, and healthcare stakeholders.
A parliamentary committee recommended making that exclusion permanent in a June report. The report cited concerns about determining whether a mental illness is irremediable, distinguishing MAID requests from suicidal intent, and ensuring access to adequate mental-health services.
The Conservative Party has opposed the expansion of MAID and called for stronger monitoring and public reporting, minimum national standards for oversight, and a review of the effectiveness and enforceability of existing MAID safeguards.
The Tories have also opposed advance consent for MAID, with Conservative MP Andrew Lawton requesting on Oct. 29 that the Liberals' bill be split into two so that advance consent and the indefinite exclusion of the mentally ill from accessing euthanasia can be voted on separately.
A total of 76,475 people received MAID in Canada between its legalization in 2016 and the end of 2024, according to Health Canada's latest annual report, released in late 2025. In 2024, MAID deaths accounted for 5.1 percent of all deaths in Canada.