Manitoba’s Liberal leader makes the case for a mental health bill of rights
Jon Gerrard, leader of the Liberal party in Manitoba, introduced a bill on December 2, 2008 in the Manitoba Legislature to provide a bill of rights for citizens with mental health disorders. He wrote on his blog, “it is imperative that people with mental illnesses receive services quickly, that their release from an institution such as a hospital be adequately planned, and that adequate support be available for them in the community on discharge.”
We speak with Dr. Jon Gerrard about his bill, his reasons for introducing it, and its fate, now that the Manitoba Legislature has ended its sitting for the summer break.
We also speak with Karen Kellogg, a lawyer, research associate and project manager with the Health Law Institute at University of Alberta in Edmonton.
Image: Jon Gerrard at a rally for FASD in front of the Manitoba Legislature, September 2008. Source: Jon Gerrard’s blog.
