Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, has announced the final selection of the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada - the commission has just been created. The Prime Minister made the announcement to a gathering of international health experts and leaders at the 2007 International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership Exchange and Conference. Harper said that as the new board members have been selected, as well as the chairs of the committees throughout the country, the Commission is now fully functional.

The Prime Minister said "The board and advisory committee members represent the best people in the mental health field in Canada today. Their work will improve quality of life for Canadians and their families dealing with mental illness."

CAN$55 million was committed over five years towards a mental health commission in Budget 2007. The Standing Senate Committee report on mental health, mental illness and addiction in Canada had urged the government to create a Mental Health Committee. The government calls this the cornerstone of its strategy to tackle mental health issues in Canada.

Co-author of the report and Commission Chair Michael Kirby said "I can tell you that there is already widespread enthusiasm for the creation of the Commission. I cannot count the number of offers of help and proposals for collaboration that have already flooded in."

The 2007 International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership Exchange and Conference brings together leaders in the mental health sector from around the globe for collaboration, networking and the sharing of best practices. The following countries and their agencies participated in this conference:

-- The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE)
-- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) of the US
-- The Mental Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health New Zealand (MOHNZ)
-- The Scottish Executive (SE) The Department of Health and Children , Ireland (DoHC)
-- The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland (DHSSPS)
-- The Department of Health and Ageing, Australia (DH&A Au)
-- The Ministry of Health and Canadian Mental Health Commission