The Hon. Michael Kirby, Chair, Partners for Mental Health
Wednesday October 17, 2012 Manulife Healthcare Roundtable Series Feature Event - Opening Minds: Towards a National Mental Health Strategy
The Honourable Michael Kirby has had a distinguished career in public service, holding numerous senior appointments in the civil service, including Assistant Secretary to Prime Minister Trudeau and Secretary to the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations. He first entered service in 1970 as Chief of Staff to the Premier of Nova Scotia. Four years later he became Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Trudeau. From 1977 to 1980, he was President of the Institute for Research and Public Policy.
Dr. Kirby was Secretary to the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations and Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council from 1980 to 1983. In this capacity, he was deeply involved in the negotiations that led to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the adoption of the Charter of Rights in the Constitution. From 1982-1984, Dr. Kirby was Chair of the Task Force on Atlantic Fisheries which was responsible for restructuring Canada’s deep sea fishing industry.
Dr. Kirby was summoned to the Senate of Canada in 1984 and retired in 2006, after 22 years of service. From 1988-1993, he was chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. And from1999-2006, he chaired the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Under his leadership, the Committee produced 11 health care reports, including the first-ever national report on mental health, mental illness and addiction. That report, Out of the Shadows at Last, was released in May 2006. One of the key recommendations was the creation of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. In March 2007, Prime Minister Harper asked Dr. Kirby to undertake that recommendation and create the Mental Health Commission. As inaugural Chair of the Commission, Dr. Kirby oversaw the production of Canada’s first national mental health strategy. In March 2012, he resigned as Chair of the Commission to become the inaugural Chair of Partners for Mental Health, Canada’s first national social movement in support of mental health and an organization he created in order to mobilize thousands of Canadians in support of improving mental health services.
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