Members of Parliament have moved a national suicide prevention bill one step closer to approval.

The private member’s bill, introduced by Conservative MP Harold Albrecht, passed second reading Wednesday night.

Bill C-300 calls for more suicide awareness and research.

Jack Hicks is a social science researcher in Iqaluit. He is also active in suicide prevention in the territory.

Hicks said the highest suicide rates are found in Aboriginal communities. He said the bill misses some key elements.

“There’s no specific mention to the rate of suicide in some aboriginal communities. And among the organizations to be consulted, aboriginal groups are not mentioned as a category,” he said.

Jack Hicks, a social science researcher in Iqaluit, said the bill is a step in the right direction. But he said it is missing some key elements. He said it makes no mention of the high suicide rates among aboriginal groups in Canada. (CBC)

However, Hicks said the bill is a step in the right direction, especially since Canada is one of the only developed countries without a national suicide prevention strategy in place.

“My hope is that everything this bill mentions will be done as quickly as possible, as effectively as possible, and Canada goes into catch-up mode,” he said.

Bill C-300 will now move to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.