Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 55, Mental Health Act, be read for the second time.
This bill replaces the Mental Health Act. It modernizes mental health legislation and includes an approach to promote the care and treatment of patients in communities where appropriate. It provides for the establishment of a review board to hear, in a timely manner, applications by patients, persons acting on behalf of patients, medical practitioners and other persons. A consequential amendment is made to the Property Assessment and Taxation Act.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. To the principle of the bill. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to thank the Minister for bringing the bill forward, the Mental Health Act. As he knows, the Mental Health Act hasn’t had any significant changes to it since 1985. Throughout my term as an MLA, a lot of our issues that we see and deal with, and as chair of the Committee on Social Programs, a lot of issues that we deal with, whether it’s in justice, education, health, housing, and it could go on and on, all comes down to an underlying fact and that deals with mental health.
I know that residents of the Northwest Territories will be very happy to hear that this government, the 17th Legislative Assembly Members all agreed to ensure that that bill needed to be updated and modernized so that people don’t slip through the cracks anymore. Along with this bill what needs to be done is that we’ve got to start providing the programs and the services that our people need so that they can get the help that they deserve so that they can be part of society.
I just wanted to make a quick comment on this, and I know that, as we’re going through the second reading of the bill, the Standing Committee on Social Programs will be looking forward to receiving a lot of comments and feedback from our stakeholders, from residents of the Northwest Territories, but also looking at engaging our public in our public consultations as we go to the communities and also hearing from our residents across the North and even getting input from organizations across Canada. Personally I know that I’ve been a big advocate on the mental health aspect and I’m glad to see where we are today and I know committee is going to work hard to try to push this bill through and I know we’ve got one more sitting and hopefully we’ll get it done during the 17th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Moses, to the principle of the bill. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to add a few comments to those and my thoughts are very similar to those of my colleague. This bill has been overdue for a very long time and I want to commend the Minister and the staff of his department for getting it done in short order. They’ve been working very hard to get this brought forward for this particular sitting.
There are many of our residents who are affected by mental health. There are many of our residents who don’t get the treatment they need because the current Mental Health Act is outdated and it will be totally replaced by this new act. I’m looking forward to examining the act as committee goes through their work and examines the bill, hears from residents about what is good with the bill, what is bad with the bill, and I’m looking forward very much to updating a very outdated act and seeing that our residents are going to be able to be treated far better than they are now, those that have mental health issues. So, thanks to the Minister and thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the principle of the bill. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Members’ comments. The Members are correct; our current Mental Health Act came into force in 1985 and there has been no significant amendment since. This bill will completely replace the old Mental Health Act.
Mr. Speaker, there are gaps in our current mental health system and residents are falling through the cracks. It’s clear that change is urgently needed and the time is now. This legislation will fill those gaps and modernize the current mental health framework. The bill streamlines the current assessment and admissions process and also removes some of the paperwork and administration burdens posed by the current act which is going to be appreciated by members but also the staff.
To protect the rights of patients and those acting on their behalf, the bill includes modern and comprehensive rights for patients and their substitute decision-makers.
It will establish a review board and panels to hear concerns from patients, families and medical practitioners. The review board will also automatically review the certificates of long-term patients to ensure that appropriate treatment care is being provided.
Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of Bill 55 is the provision of the assisted community treatment. Assisted community treatment will allow involuntary patients to receive mental health treatment, care and supervision while living in a community and will be customized to meet the specific treatment needs of patients. This is recognized as best practice and helps ensure appropriate support is provided to mental health patients in the community.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support from Regular Members who have pushed hard and long for the development of this bill and I look forward to hearing the committee’s recommendations to help us make this bill even stronger in the best interest of residents throughout the Northwest Territories. So I am looking forward to having continued discussion with committee, and let’s get this bill right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. Bill 55 has had a second reading and is referred to a standing committee.
---Carried
Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 248-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016; Bill 37, Financial Administration Act; Committee Report 15-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 37: Financial Administration Act; Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act; Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Forest Management Act; and Committee Report 17-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of Public Accounts, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the Chair.
