An MP fights MAiD expansion in Canadian Parliament - 10 Qs with Andrew Lawton
The new MP talks mental health, Bill C-218, bail reform and finding bathrooms on Parliament Hill
Andrew Lawton is still here. That’s because he got better. Now, he’s making waves in Ottawa. After a mental health crisis over a decade ago in which he almost took his own life, Andrew recovered. He now serves as the Member of Parliament for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South.
A lot can happen in a year. The last time I interviewed him (in May 2024) he was promoting his book about Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and a federal election was on the nation’s radar. Fast-forward to today, Lawton is a sitting MP.
In this interview, I asked Andrew about the campaign he launched to highlight mental health, the new bill he cosigned to stop MAiD expansion, and what it was like to learn that his campaign office was burnt to the ground by an arsonist.
You recently launched the #IGotBetter campaign. What is it and why did you launch it?
The #IGotBetter campaign is about making sure that medical assistance in dying, or MAID, never expands to people who are suffering only from a mental illness. In March of 2027, Canada's MAID eligibility is set to expand, and this will risk the lives of countless Canadians struggling with a range of mental illnesses.
Given my own history with depression and suicide attempts, it was important for me to share my own story, and provide a platform for others to share theirs.
The core message is that it's possible to get better from mental illness, or at the very least get beyond the acute desire to end your life. We need to keep hope alive and not give up on the vulnerable. That's what the campaign strives to do.
What actions do you think federal leaders can take to address root causes of mental health issues in Canada so that individuals don't even consider taking their life in the first place, whether at the hand of their doctor or their own?
It's a complicated question without a simple answer. We all have a role to play in supporting people struggling with mental illness, not just the government. Provincial government is generally responsible for healthcare, but there are federal strategies and initiatives in place to support this.
Civil society also plays a key role — the education system, faith communities, and just individuals keeping an eye out for each other. People need to know that they have a place in the world and that there is a future brighter than what they may be able to see in their darkest moments.
The pathway for a private member's bill like the Right to Recover Act which you’ve cosigned face lots of challenges to become law. What needs to be true for this bill to pass?
Private member's bills are notoriously difficult to get passed, but I am hopeful the Right to Recover Act can become law.
All Conservative, NDP and Green MPs supported a previous iteration of it in the previous parliament and several Liberal MPs voted for it as well. We don't yet know how the Liberal party under its current leader will land on this but I know there are several Liberal MPs who are not keen on the mental illness expansion for MAID.
What has the response been like from your colleagues across the aisle? A wide array of Canadians seem to support it—are there signs that MPs from other parties will back Bill C-218?
The bill was tabled shortly before parliament rose for the summer and the public awareness campaign was launched while the House of Commons was in recess, so I haven't had many opportunities to speak to MPs from other parties yet.
I hope to do this in the fall when we return. I have asked for a meeting with the justice minister, Sean Fraser, to discuss this as well.
The bill would stop expansion of MAiD to mental health, but it wouldn’t stop MAiD. Some experts predict that by 2034, 1 in 10 Canadians will have their doctors end their lives. That unsettles many Canadians—what’s your advice for people who want to disrupt that trend?
My focus with Bill C-218 has been to stop the expansion to people with mental illness. This is a narrow mission but it's one I'm optimistic we can generate consensus from across the aisle on.
The process that led to this expansion was incredibly fraught given the government legislated in a future implementation date before addressing the numerous outstanding issues from medical experts, disability rights experts, and mental health advocates.
You moved from reporting and writing about politics to becoming a politician. What motivated you to run for Parliament and how has your career as a journalist impacted your work as a MP?
In some ways, it is a natural transition. I am familiar with how politics works and already had relationships with a lot of the key players. Journalism and politics both have a pace and pressure to them, which I'm accustomed to.
The biggest difference is that any change I wanted to effect in media involved convincing others to do something. As a legislator, I have the power to do things myself, keeping in mind the fact that I'm one of 343 members of Parliament
I've started a job when my manager was on leave. It's an interesting way to start a new role! Your party leader Pierre Poilievre, currently has no seat in Parliament. What's that been like as a first-time MP and how has your cohort had to adapt?
As I write this, Pierre Poilievre has once again gained a seat in the House of Commons. Even though he wasn't in the House for my first few weeks there, there's no doubt he was our party's leader.
He achieved a significant feat in the election with the overall vote share and where the party made gains. The caucus and membership are behind him, and I'm convinced he will be Canada's next prime minister.
What's a “day-in-the-life” like for you, both in Ottawa and at home in your riding?
I'm still learning this part of the role. The House of Commons called me the day after the election to begin my orientation and onboarding. Four weeks after the election, I took my seat for the first time as an MP.
I didn't even have an office in Ottawa at the time, and had to figure out where the bathrooms were, and so on. Since summer recess began on June 20, I've been focused exclusively on things happening in my constituency: events and meetings, predominantly.
Once the House sits again on September 15, I'll be back and forth every week, so it'll be an adjustment!
Recently your former campaign office was burnt down by an arsonist out on bail for committing similar crimes. Like other Canadians, your community is being directly impacted by lax criminal justice policies. What needs to happen for reform to take place so dangerous offenders aren’t on the loose in our communities?
This is another one of these problems that doesn't have just one solution, but there are a couple of key things that are needed: one is bail reform. Police and provinces have been unequivocal about this.
The Liberal government amended the Criminal Code to create something called the "principle of restraint." This compels judges to release offenders at the earliest opportunity and under the least onerous conditions. This principle can be directly linked to a revolving door issue with a small group of prolific offenders taking up the bulk of police resources.
My Conservative colleagues and I have been calling on the government to repeal this principle of restraint immediately.
You’re connecting with people in your riding frequently, but also going direct to Canadians on social media. How much does the feedback and issues raised by people online match what people say in-person? How does this direct approach influence your role as MP?
I use social media to share what I'm doing. It's getting harder to use it as a tool for genuine dialogue. Between spam and trolls, which seemed to increase in number when I became a politician, there's a lot of negativity.
It's an added challenge for me because I developed a national audience on social media through my media work, but my bosses are the 110,000 people who live in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South.
My team and I try to make sure we're picking out the comments from constituents and responding when it's warranted, although this remains a work in progress.
Thank you Andrew for taking on Goliath! Prayers for you from a bunch of us.