A little over a year ago Senator Michael Kirby came up
with an outlandish idea. To fund his far-reaching mental health strategy —
which came with a hefty pricetag of $500 million — the intrepid senator proposed
a five cent per glass booze tax. Nobody expected his 'vice tax' to go through,
but it certainly got people's attention. In this year's budget, Stephen Harper
became the first PM to take the idea seriously (see "Tories
win friends in health sector with budget bounty" on page 26). He's funding
the Mental Health Commission to the tune of $10 million now, and then, when the
Commission is actually set up in 2009-10, $15 million a year for the rest of the
its life — around 10 years. "We must reach out in practical and compassionate
ways to those struggling with mental illness," said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
in his announcement. Mr Kirby, who recently retired from the senate, will head
up the Commission. Mental health advocates' cup runneth
over following this belated cash injection. "We have been waiting for action since
1964 when Mr Justice Emmett Hall first made sweeping recommendations to bring
mental healthcare into the 20th century," said Dr Manon Charbonneau, President
of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) in response to the announcement.
"We [hope] that the Commission will bring Canada's mental healthcare system into
the 21st century." Most of the people who care for the
mentally ill agree that access is one of the biggest problems they face. This
Commission is a great start, but there must be provisions to increase the number
of psychiatrists in the country. More out-of-box initiatives like telepsychiatry
will also help improve access for patients in remote areas. It's
often noted that mental illness affects as many as one in five Canadians at some
point in their lives. Mental health physicians are there for those patients, through
thick and thin, for the long haul. Let's hope the same can be said for Mr Harper's
commitment to mental health funding. | 
