During a Special Joint Committee meeting related to Canada's euthanasia laws, a psychiatrist told MPs that those with eating disorders or depression should be allowed to die by assisted suicide. 

Last week, Dr. Mona Gupta, who works as a psychiatrist and professor at the University of Montreal, was asked directly by pro-life Conservative MP Andrew Lawton if those with depression or eating disorders should be allowed to die by "MAiD" (Medical Assistance in Dying).

Gupta seemed to suggest that this could be OK.

"It depends on the circumstances of the person," she responded to Lawton. 

In reply, Lawton asked, "So it could?" 

"Potentially," Gupta replied.

Lawton then asked Gupta if there is a consensus on how many times a person would have to be treated for disorders before it became enough for them to be considered "treatment resistant."

In reply, Gupta said that the term "treatment resistant" is not used in MAiD laws. 

Last month, the Canadian government created the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee for MAiD. It is filled with euthanasia advocates, but Lawton is one of the few pro-life members of the committee. 

The committee will determine whether or not Canada should expand assisted suicide to those with mental illness, but a few Members of Parliament on the committee promise to advocate for life.

Canada's current MAiD laws state that a person who has a grievous and irremediable sickness must have "enduring and intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated under conditions the person considers acceptable" before being allowed to request it. 

Lawton questioned Gupta as to whether it was reasonable for a person to have to go through all treatments before MAiD would be considered. 

"It is difficult to make rules for diagnosis — we have to look at the individual person," she said. 

"Ordinary clinical practice would be pursuing all of the usual standard accepted treatments for conditions — and then some," added Gupta, noting, "but there may be reasons an individual has that they can't take advantage of those treatments."

Lawton asked Gupta if sick people who did not want treatment could just then go ahead with MAiD.

In reply, Gupta said if a patient did not want treatment, it would then not be"appropriate to consider MAiD in that circumstance."

Instances of Canadians being pressured into MAiD over medical treatment have been on the rise in recent months.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, an 84-year-old Canadian Catholic woman who was offered euthanasia while at a hospital despite not being deathly sick has spoken out, saying there was "no way" she was going to "take measures to end" her life.

Indeed, as reported by LifeSiteNews, a Canadian man was euthanized just because he had partial blindness.

Some provinces such as Alberta are doing what they can to limit the availability of MAiD, which is federally mandated.