Veterans affairs minister says no more assisted dying cases found despite new claims
Global News
Lawrence MacAulay and his deputy said the department could not confirm the claims by retired corporal and Paralympian Christine Gauthier that she was offered MAiD.
The minister of veterans affairs says no additional cases of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) being discussed with a veteran have been confirmed by the department, despite a former Paralympian telling lawmakers she was at least the fifth veteran who experienced such an incident.
Retired corporal Christine Gauthier shocked the House of Commons standing committee on veterans affairs Thursday when she testified that a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee brought up MAiD during an ongoing fight for a wheelchair lift to be installed at her home.
But Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his deputy minister Paul Ledwell told the committee Monday that a review of Gauthier’s file did not corroborate her claims.
“There’s no indication — in the files, in any correspondence, in any notation based on engagement of the veteran — of reference to MAiD,” Ledwell said.
Ledwell said over 400,000 “unique veteran files” have been reviewed as part of an ongoing investigation into how many veterans have been offered MAiD, including Gauthier’s, which he said was reviewed again following her testimony on Thursday.
To date, a total of four such discussions have been confirmed involving a single VAC service agent, a number MacAulay first revealed to the committee two weeks ago. Ledwell confirmed on Monday the number has not changed, and does not include Gauthier.
The investigation was sparked after Global News first reported in August that a VAC employee had discussed medically-assisted death with a veteran, a case that has brought renewed scrutiny on the department and the ongoing struggle for veterans seeking support.
Sources told Global News a VAC service agent brought up MAiD unprompted in a conversation earlier this year with the combat veteran, who was discussing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.
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