Incredibly, medical assistance in dying (MAID) is currently the 5th leading cause of death in Canada.
To my shock, Canadian politicians enacted legislation to expand eligibility for MAID to permit medical practitioners to provide lethal injections to people with mental health conditions who are otherwise healthy. “The eligibility date for persons suffering solely from a mental illness is now March 17, 2027” (Government of Canada). I formerly voiced my opposition to such an expansion of MAID directly to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (Submission, November 11, 2023).
Investigative journalist Sam Cooper at The Bureau has advocated for a review into MAID due to damning facts and major concerns about how it is being administered, as well as evidence suggesting that socio-economic issues may be driving its exponential growth (From Exception to Routine: Why Canada’s State-Assisted Suicide Regime Demands a Human-Rights Review: OpEd, December 4, 2025).
As a social worker and mental health advocate who was formerly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I fully support Mr. Cooper’s recommended review (Lethal Injections for Mental Illness is Wrong, January 11, 2026).
While Justin Trudeau was prime minister of Canada, he was sent information about my experience of severe mental illness in Canada and recovery in Australia by Patrick W. Corrigan. The late American mental health scholar and researcher was the world-leading expert on the stigma of mental illness and a prominent social scientist (IIT, March 25, 2024). Professor Corrigan stated in his open letter to the prime minister that knowledge of my story is in the public interest (Open Letter, February 22, 2016).
My story, however, cannot be understood without some knowledge about an existing case of long-term systemic corruption at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) — “The File 1000-121 Affair” — and related evidence of media capture.
Five days before Professor Corrigan sent his open letter, I sent Mr. Trudeau an open letter and four documents to notify him about the File 1000-121 Affair (Open Letter, February 17, 2016); (Document 1); (Document 2); (Document 3); and (Document 4).
It is a matter of public record that three decades ago, I challenged some of the most powerful vested interests in Canada (Peter Kent, August 8, 1995) with significant support by one Member of Parliament (Dan McTeague, August 8, 1995), one journalist in particular (Antonia Zerbisias, July 9, 1995) and a pro-bono legal team consisting of Christopher K. Leafloor, Neil Milton and J. Blair Drummie (Mahar v Rogers Cablesystems Ltd.).
Recent research indicates that conditions are favourable to actively address the File 1000-121 Affair, again: simultaneously demonstrating that recovery from severe mental illness is possible, before March 17, 2027.
“Nearly half of Canadians surveyed distrust the federal government to “make good decisions in the public interest,” according to in-house Privy Council research. The study documented growing public skepticism” (Blacklock’s Reporter, May 21, 2026). The independent news source noted that findings from the study also identified that only 24 percent trusted politicians, while only 48 percent were satisfied with the way democracy works in Canada.
As articulated in a paper for my social work degree long ago, it is my belief that public awareness of the File 1000-121 Affair has the potential to result in democratic reform (June 12, 2007).
In some ways, improving a corrupt system and mental health recovery are similar. Both are a complex processes which often require external support, lots of effort and considerable time, while each is worth the extremely hard work.
