Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

BC Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko Introduces Mental Health Amendment Act to Prevent Further Tragedies


"As the provincial government considers expanding involuntary care, the Mental Health Amendment Act of 2025 provides a practical and compassionate improvement to mental health assessments with enhanced communication while respecting the rights of individuals and their families.” ~~   Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, Critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety 


Today, Elenore Sturko, Conservative MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, introduced the Mental Health Amendment Act of 2025 in the Legislative Assembly of BC. This Bill will strengthen communication between healthcare providers and the close relatives of individuals who are taken to hospitals during mental health crises.

MLA Sturko’s proposed amendments to the Mental Health Act require physicians and nurse practitioners to consult with a near relative, or the individual who provided information leading to an apprehension, before certifying a person under the Act.

Additionally, it requires hospitals provide notice to a near relative before discharging patients and informs them if patients withdraw consent for information sharing.

“Families play a crucial role in supporting their loved ones during mental health crises, yet they are often denied the opportunity to share valuable insight into the health of their loved one,” said MLA Sturko. “This Bill ensures that healthcare providers receive important contextual information that can improve care decisions, prevent suicide and self-harm, and ultimately protect public safety.”

The need for legislative change was underscored by a recent violent incident in Surrey, where a man in drug-induced psychosis committed two home invasions, assaulted a senior, and later attacked a police officer at the Peace Arch Hospital.

Days after the event, a close relative of the suspect contacted MLA Sturko’s office, stating they had crucial information about the individual's escalating mental health crisis… Information that was never sought by police or medical professionals. The Mental Health Amendment Act of 2025 would necessitate such information sharing to prevent further tragedies.

Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad expressed strong support for the Bill: “This is a critical step towards ensuring mental health care decisions are made with the best available information. It is time for the provincial government to support common-sense changes that save British Columbian lives and protect the public. I urge all members of the Legislative Assembly to support this Bill and take meaningful action to address BC’s growing mental health crisis.” 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

'Very good news' that Supreme Court will hear B.C. mineral claims case, Eby says

The BC government needs clarity from the Supreme Court of Canada on a landmark mineral rights claim, Premier David Eby says. But the lawyer representing the challenger says that they would have preferred the province respect the lower court's decision. Eby said Thursday it is very good news that the court will hear its appeal of a ruling that found the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the provincial mineral claims regime are "inconsistent." The BC Court of Appeal ruled in December that the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, should be "properly interpreted" to incorporate the UN declaration into the laws of B.C. with immediate legal effect. That ruling set off the appeal from the province amid concerns that it could cause economic uncertainty ... CLICK HERE for the full story 
Post a Comment
Read more

EBY OFFSIDE WITH NATIONAL INTEREST AS CARNEY AND SMITH BUILD BC'S ECONOMIC FUTURE WITHOUT HIM ~~ BC Conservatives

IMAGE CREDIT :  CBC News   Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a landmark agreement today committing Ottawa to designate a new pipeline to BC's west coast as a project of national interest by October 1, 2026, with construction approval targeted for September 1, 2027. The deal pairs the pipeline with a new industrial carbon pricing framework and a fall 2027 construction start. British Columbia, the province where the pipeline ends, where the jobs would land, and where the export terminal would be built, was nowhere at the table. "This is a nation-building deal, and the BC NDP have been locked out of the room," said Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition.  "While the Prime Minister and the Premier of Alberta were doing the hard work of growing the Canadian economy, the NDP is on the sidelines calling this pipeline a 'fiction' and an 'energy vampire.'  He chose petulance over partnership, and now BC ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kamloops - North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer speaks to Bill 20 — K’ómoks Treaty Act

The following is a condensed version of Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s remarks, to the BC Legislature, on the afternoon of Tuesday May 19th : I rise today to continue remarks on Bill 20, the K’ómoks treaty, and to address what I believe are some of the most important constitutional, democratic and governance concerns facing this Legislature today. At the centre of this debate are two major issues. First, unresolved overlapping territorial boundaries tied to this treaty process. And second, the growing legal and political consequences arising from the provincial government’s implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, more commonly known as DRIPA. Much of the government’s defence on DRIPA rests upon references to the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, commonly known as UNDRIP. And this is where we must begin having a more honest and mature conversation in this province. UNDRIP was never originally designed to function ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more