Hope sent to Committee
Albrecht’s Suicide Prevention legislation passes Second Reading
OTTAWA, ON (February 15th, 2012) — Today the House of Commons passed Bill C300, an Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, at Second Reading, by a vote of 285 in favour, 3 opposed.
Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga tabled Bill C300 on September 29th 2011. Bill C300 will require the federal government to: recognize suicide as a public health issue, provide guidelines to improve public awareness of suicide, disseminate information about suicide and suicide prevention, make available to the public statistics about suicide and related risk factors, promote collaboration and knowledge exchange across Canada, define best practices for the prevention of suicide, promote the use of evidence-based practices for the prevention of suicide; and report back to Parliament at defined intervals regarding its progress.
At a press conference held earlier in the day, Harold was joined by suicide prevention advocates.
“I am grateful to Harold Albrecht for forcing the House of Commons to debate this issue openly,” said Tana Nash, coordinator of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council. “But tomorrow, I want to be grateful to this Parliament for ensuring that these conversations will continue.”
Rory Butler had an equally blunt message for MPs: “My organization is Your Life Counts. We save lives. Passing Bill C300 will make our job easier. Please help us save lives.”
Scott Chisholm of the Collateral Damage Project concluded his remarks by stating “C300 offers hope, and too many Canadians are in desperate need of hope.”
Albrecht remains hopeful that the next stage — study by Committee — will be concluded without delay. “I say promptly, because lives are lost with every delay. C300 was last debated last Thursday. Since then, there have likely been 5000 suicide attempts, 600 Emergency Room visits, 250 hospitalizations, and 50 deaths – all due to suicide – most of them preventable.”
Press Conference on Parliament Hill for Bill C300
Press Conference on Parliament Hill for Bill C300; MP Harold Albrecht, Tana Nash, Rory Butler, Scott Chisholm and Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty
David Drewe,
Assistant to Harold Albrecht, MP
Kitchener-Conestoga
613.992.1142
As both a widow to suicide and a suicide prevention advocate this announcement gives me great hope for the future! Thank You so much for your hard work and determination in breaking the stigma surrounding suicide!!
From “Journey to Hope” in Moose Jaw, we send our heartfelt thanks for your hard work in breaking the silence and stigma that so many live with. You are raising hope and that is priceless work.
Thank you so much for your dedication to bringing this serious issue forward to the House of Commons and to the public. I appreciate your dedication!