Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying: Eugenics Under Another Name?

This paper is a study of the Canadian Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program initiated in 2016 and undergoing expansion ever since. It tries to understand how it is that the Canadian government frames assisted dying as a viable and beneficial practice to both individuals and the public purse, while also exploring the rationale for its decision-making. The study begins by examining MAiD and its projected expansion (expected for March 2027) to cover a larger group of applicants than those initially qualifying when it was started. I argue that the program is first and foremost rooted in eugenics and economics as priorities in Canada at the government/administrative and society levels. Together with eugenics, I question economic forms of logic that shape how governments enact and support policies, specifically during periods of financial recession. In my overall analysis, I caution about the serious implications that legalized assistance in dying could have not only on the individuals directly affected and their immediate families and friends, but also on the larger society.