Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Issue 30 - Nineteenth Report of the Committee
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its
NINETEENTH REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-208, An Act to establish the Canadian Commission on Mental Health and Justice, has, in obedience to the order of reference of Thursday, June 19, 2014, examined the said bill and now reports as follows:
Your committee recommends that this bill not be proceeded with further in the Senate for the reasons that follow.
Your committee heard strong and compelling evidence that the issues listed in Bill S-208 must be addressed. Canadians struggling with mental health problems are vastly over-represented in our criminal justice system and we fully support the purpose of the bill as set out in the preamble. The issue in discussion was not what needs to be done, but how to best achieve these agreed upon goals.
A number of members of the committee believe that the existing Mental Health Commission of Canada ("the MHCC''), which was established in 2007 by the current government following a recommendation by this committee, would be best situated to fulfil the purpose and duties detailed in Bill S-208. It has access to expertise through established networks of experts, critical stakeholders as well as provincial and territorial governments.
Although the MHCC has clearly stated that it is willing to take on the additional tasks set out in Bill S-208 if given the mandate and resources to do so, some committee members emphasized that its mandate is due to expire in 2017 and that the government has not indicated whether it will be renewed.
Finally, some members were concerned that because the MHCC is not established by statute, it lacks the continuity and stability (as well as accountability to Parliament) that would be desirable in a Commission tasked with the critically important powers and responsibilities set out in Bill S-208.
Despite these shared concerns, your committee recommends that this Bill not be proceeded with further in the Senate for the reasons that follow.
Most of the work proposed in Bill S-208 has already been undertaken by various organizations either independently or in collaboration with the MHCC. The majority of committee members consider that an additional Commission with an overlapping mandate would be inappropriate at this time. On balance, your committee believes that, if properly resourced and directed, the additional tasks detailed in Bill S-208 could be fulfilled by the MHCC rather than by establishing a new Commission.
Accordingly, your committee urges the Government to provide the Mental Health Commission of Canada with a renewed and expanded mandate to incorporate the purpose and duties set out in Bill S-208.
Respectfully submitted,
KELVIN K. OGILVIE
Chair