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Bill C-218: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)

Bill C-218 — 45-1

Bill C-205: An Act to amend the National Housing Strategy Act

Bill C-205 — 45-1

Bill C-201: An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (mental, addictions and substance use health services)

Bill C-201 — 45-1

Bill C-12: Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act

Bill C-12 — 45-1

Bill C-10: Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act

Bill C-10 — 45-1

TOPIC INTRODUCTION: Bill C-205: National Housing Strategy

TOPIC INTRODUCTION: Bill C-201: Mental Health and Addictions

Bill C-2, the Mental Health and Addictions Act, seeks to overhaul Canada’s approach to mental health and addiction care by expanding access to treatment, improving coordination between services, and addressing systemic gaps. For Canadians, this issue is deeply personal and urgent, as mental health crises and addiction disorders affect millions, often compounded by barriers like funding shortages, fragmented care, and social determinants like housing and poverty.

TOPIC INTRODUCTION

Bill C-205, the National Housing Strategy, represents a federal effort to address Canada’s housing crisis, which affects millions through affordability, homelessness, and inadequate supply. The bill seeks to coordinate provincial, territorial, and federal policies to create a cohesive framework for housing reform. However, its success hinges on balancing competing priorities and addressing systemic challenges.

Key tensions:

Introduction: Criminalizing Denial While the Water Runs Brown

On October 31, 2025, MP Ms. Gazan introduced Bill C-254, a private member's bill that would criminalize public denial or justification of Canada's residential school system. The bill proposes adding a new subsection to the Criminal Code making it an offense to promote hatred toward Indigenous peoples by "condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system" outside private conversations. Those convicted could face up to two years in prison.

Introduction: A Bill Born of Desperation

On June 20, 2025, MP Ms. Jansen introduced Bill C-218, a private member's bill seeking to amend the Criminal Code to explicitly exclude mental disorders as qualifying conditions for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). The bill's preamble frames it as a protective measure, prioritizing "mental health support" and "suicide prevention counselling" over what its proponents describe as the "normalization of assisted death as a mental health solution."