Assisted dying bill easily approved by MPs, now heads to Senate

The federal government’s controversial bill on assisted dying has sailed through the House of Commons, approved by a vote of 186−137.

It now heads into choppier waters in the Senate, where many senators are pushing for amendments.

It is all but certain the bill will not be passed by Monday, the day the ban on assisted dying is formally lifted.

Senators are expediting the bill, taking the usual step of inviting Justice Minister Jody Wilson−Raybould and Health Minister Jane Philpott to testify before the entire Senate on Wednesday.

However, senators must still debate the bill at second reading, send the bill to committee to hear from some half a dozen witnesses, consider possible amendments and debate and vote on the bill a final time.

Given all that, Conservative Senate leader Claude Carignan said the bill will not be put to a final vote until the end of next week at the earliest.