---
title: "BC Residents With Serious Illnesses Wait to See if Conservatives Will Back Federal MAID Bill"
description: "Ottawa tabled a bill allowing advanced requests for medical assistance in dying, but left the decision to each province. BC's incoming Conservative government says no decisions have been made."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-maid-advanced-requests-conservative-government-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-31T17:06:49.176Z"
---

A federal bill tabled October 28 would let Canadians with serious illnesses make an advance request for medical assistance in dying before their illness takes away their ability to consent, but the bill leaves each province to decide whether to implement it, and BC's incoming Conservative government has said no policy decisions have been made yet.

Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser tabled the bill in Ottawa. Under its terms, people diagnosed with illnesses that will eventually take away their ability to give consent could record their wishes in advance. A Richmond man and his wife, who spoke to CTV News, said they have spent years advocating for exactly this change and were moved when they heard of the bill. The couple is not naming their diagnoses here beyond what they described publicly to CTV.

**How it would work**

Under the proposed legislation, provinces and territories would each decide whether to implement advanced requests. Alex Muir, Metro Vancouver chapter chair of Dying with Dignity, told CTV News this creates a risk of uneven access. "We're going to end up with this patchwork of systems across Canada," he said. Quebec currently allows advanced requests for medical assistance in dying. Alberta has barred them.

**What the incoming BC government says**

The Conservative Party of BC told CTV News in a statement: "the new government hasn't been sworn in yet, so no decisions have been made on this or any other policy matter. Once we're in office, we will look at it carefully." No specific position has been announced.

The incoming government's health commitments, including expanding detox and treatment housing and offering treatment on demand, are tracked at the [BC provincial tracker](/bc/provincial-2026/tracker).

**What comes next**

The federal bill has not yet been passed into law. It must go through Parliament and receive Royal Assent before it takes effect. Even after it becomes law, BC would need to decide whether to opt in. People in BC who are following this issue can watch for the bill's progress through the House of Commons and monitor whether the provincial government announces a position once it is sworn in.

## Sitemap

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