OTTAWA -- Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau centred Tuesday鈥檚 campaign messaging on the party鈥檚 promise to improve access to mental health services nationwide, something his main opponents have also committed to do, citing the ongoing strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trudeau unveiled the Canada Mental Health Transfer that would deliver permanent funding to participating provinces and territories to create more 鈥渉igh-quality, accessible, and free鈥� services with an initial investment of $4.5 billion over five years.
鈥淭his funding, and this new transfer will mean everything from shorter wait times to more mental health professionals on the job,鈥� said Trudeau, speaking in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata.
The Liberals are also pledging $500 million over four years to introduce a student-focused mental health fund to decrease wait times by hiring up to 1,200 new mental health care counsellors at post-secondary institutions. Ten per cent annually will go to Indigenous-governed and operated schools.
鈥淚f you鈥檝e been in crisis and faced a waitlist, if you鈥檙e a student struggling to pay both rent and a therapist, you know there鈥檚 a lot of work still do to,鈥� said Trudeau. 鈥淢ental health should be a priority even within our health-care system.鈥�
Similar to the Conservatives, they鈥檙e committing to implement a national three-digit mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is in the process of holding public on the advantages and challenges associated with the implementation of a singular hotline after Parliament green-lighted a Conservative-backed motion to consolidate regional numbers.
CONSERVATIVES
Taking action on Canada鈥檚 mental health crisis 鈥� heightened throughout the duration of the pandemic 鈥� is a key pillar of the Conservative platform.
They, too, plan to establish an arrangement with the provinces and territories whereby a portion of the Canada Health Transfer goes directly towards improving access to mental health services.
The party鈥檚 platform states that that they will 鈥渆ncourage鈥� employers to add mental health coverage to employee benefit plans by offering a 25 per cent tax credit for the cost of mental health coverage for the first three years.
Additionally, they鈥檒l create a $150 million grant program over three years for non-profits and charities delivering mental health and wellness programming.
Meanwhile the Liberals, if re-elected, will aim to include mental health as a 鈥渟pecific element鈥� of occupational health and safety under the Canada Labour Code, and require federally-regulated employers to take preventative steps to address workplace stress and injury.
NEW DEMOCRATS
The NDP have promised more broadly to include some currently privatized mental health services under the umbrella of Canada鈥檚 public system.
鈥淎s a first step, a New Democrat government would bring in mental health care for uninsured Canadians 鈥� ensuring that people with no coverage for mental health services could gain access to these supports without worrying about the cost,鈥� their platform reads.
The party also notes that their proposed pharmacare plan would help alleviate steep medication costs.
They鈥檇 also like to establish a 鈥渘ational perinatal mental health strategy鈥� to support families before and after birth but provide little detail about what that would entail.
GREENS
The Green Party would look to increase funding to provinces to prioritize the expansion of mental health and rehabilitation services, redirect Health Canada鈥檚 mandate to focus on mental health and addictions, among other key items, and create an overarching national mental health strategy to address the ties between mental wellness and work productivity.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, Margaret Eaton, the national CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association said she鈥檚 pleased to see federal parties prioritizing mental health in the campaign.
鈥淭his has been a long time coming. People in Canada are done waiting. Done with long wait times, having to pay out-of-pocket for mental health services and limited coverage through employer insurance plans, not to mention the impact of the pandemic on our mental health,鈥� said Eaton.
Speaking to the Liberal announcement specifically, she said the commitment to establish a new federal transfer for mental health would help fill the gaps in funding for services delivered outside the hospital and family doctors鈥� offices. But the question remains: how will the party keep provinces accountable for this?
鈥淭he question of course now is, how much will this transfer entail? How will it hold provinces and territories accountable to delivering mental health care where it is needed most? Our mental health system needs fixing and bold leadership from all parties is essential. We鈥檙e off to strong start with commitments from most parties at this stage of the campaign, but we need to see more discussion around the what and the how,鈥� she said.
