Senator Denise Batters Asks Senate Committee Chair About their Report on Suicide Prevention Framework

I have been a mental health advocate since my husband died by suicide in 2009. Earlier this month, a Senate Committee released a report about Canada’s Suicide Prevention Framework. In the Senate Chamber, I asked the Chair of that Senate Committee about this report, including:

• Why was it a revelation that 75% of Canada’s suicides are men? Mental health advocates like me have sounded this alarm for 10+ years.

• Why didn’t this Senate Committee hold more meetings to receive key evidence about men’s “overrepresentation” in suicide deaths?

• Why did the Committee include “persons with mental illness” in their “target populations” list? That’s 90% of suicides.

Here is our exchange in the Senate Chamber.