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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Leyland Cecco in Toronto

Are Canadians being driven to assisted suicide by poverty or healthcare crisis?

Shot of a doctor using a digital tablet while caring for her senior patient
‘You have to meet rigorous eligibility criteria. And being poor and not having a home, or a home that is suitable for you, does not make you eligible.’ Photograph: Marco VDM/Getty Images

After pleading unsuccessfully for affordable housing to help ease her chronic health condition, a Canadian woman ended her life in February under the country’s assisted-suicide laws. Another woman, suffering from the same condition and also living on disability payments, has nearly reached final approval to end her life.

The two high-profile cases have prompted disbelief and outrage, and shone a light on Canada’s right-to-die laws, which critics argue are being misused to punish the poor and infirm. In late April, the Spectator ran a story with the provocative headline: Why is Canada euthanising the poor?

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