Hon. Danièle Henkel: Senator Moreau, this week is Mental Health Week. According to a recent report from the other place, every nine days in Canada, a veteran takes his or her life, with suicide rates up to 157% higher than those of certain cohorts in the general population.

One parliamentary committee opposes the current strategy, described as a mere “checklist” that lacks measurable objectives or strict monitoring of results.

In light of the concerns voiced by experts, how would the government assess the effectiveness of the current approach? Does it intend move toward a strategy supported by clear, public and measurable indicators?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, Senator Henkel.

The government has launched a national conversation on the mental health of men and boys in general, not on military personnel or military service members specifically. It runs until June 1 and its goal is to establish a national strategy on the matter.

I’d like to take the opportunity provided by your question to ensure that the specific circumstances of current or past members of the Armed Forces are accounted for in this national strategy.

Senator Henkel: This is important because we are talking about a veteran dying every nine days.

As Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Régiment de Maisonneuve, I would point out that the data do not include suicides among reservists, who are nevertheless essential to the Canadian Armed Forces.

Does the government plan to fix this problem in order to get an accurate picture of the situation and adapt its prevention and support policies to all of our service members?

Thank you.

Senator Moreau: The national conversation I referred to earlier was launched in response to studies published since 2012 showing a high prevalence of mental health issues among men and boys. Currently, the government and the Minister of Health are engaged in discussions and are gathering reliable data to launch a national strategy that would address these issues.

As I mentioned earlier, I will emphasize the importance of including the military in the strategy.