The senator who convinced the government to expand eligibility in Canada's assisted dying regime two years ago says the issue has already been decided upon.
Stan Kutcher says excluding people who only have a mental disorder is a flagrant example of stigma and discrimination, and some mental disorders are treatment resistant or can't be cured.
The expansion to such patients was set to happen this month, but last week Parliament passed a law to delay it for another year while standards and guidelines are being finished.
The Conservative party says it would scrap the expansion altogether if it is elected, and one of its members has introduced a law that would do just that.
Kutcher says he believes the change was necessary to comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and critics should go ahead and challenge the law in the Supreme Court if they oppose it.
Dying with Dignity CEO Helen Long says a court challenge is exactly what would have happened if the government had continued excluding patients who only have a mental disorder.