The provincial member for Dawson Trial said he was disappointed with the NDP's decision to reject his proposal for a Men's Mental Health Awareness Week.
Rep. Bob Lagace said he recently introduced House Bill 217, which would create an annual Men's Mental Health Week, an issue he said is very close to his heart.
“There's a silent crisis happening in Manitoba, where men are not talking about their mental health and their needs and are actually taking their own lives. This also applies to young boys, so this bill was meant to address that and raise awareness.”
Lagacé said men account for about 75 per cent of suicide deaths in Canada, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among men under 50.
He points out that setting aside a set amount of time to focus on these issues can make a big difference.
“My plan was to hold it the week before Father's Day because in the week before Father's Day people often remember their fathers, so it would validate their strong feelings, give them an opportunity to talk about these issues and normalize talking about men's mental health.”
The decision in the Manitoba legislature was made Thursday.
“The day this bill was introduced was a really emotional day for me because of my own personal struggles,” Lagace said. “As soon as I walked into the chamber, the Majority Leader came up to me and, you could say, feigned sympathy for this bill. She told me that she understands this bill is important, but she is not going to pass this resolution today.”
Lagacé said he understands politics are always involved but that what happened is disappointing and that this bill should be above the political games.
“It's unfortunate that the opposition party saw this as a partisan opportunity. This is really about helping people. It's not about blue, red or orange. It's just about, 'Hey, no matter what party you vote for, we're all the same people.' So please stop making these important issues into partisan issues.”
Lagacé said he plans to reintroduce the bill in the fall, at which point he hopes the bill will garner more support and pass.
