QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Mental Health
May 29, 2025
My question is for the representative of the government in the Senate, Senator Gold.
Building a stronger, more secure and productive Canada depends on ensuring the well-being of all Canadians, physically, mentally and economically. The Speech from the Throne outlines the government’s ambition to build the strongest economy in the G7. Recent analysis from the Boston Consulting Group places the economic impact of mental health issues at over $220 billion each year. Despite this, Canada only allocates 6.3% of its total health expenditures to mental health, far behind G7 countries or comparators such as France, at 15%, and Germany, at 11%.
Given this disparity and the link between productivity, mental health and mental well-being, how does the government plan to address this underinvestment in mental health, substance use and addiction care and align Canada’s investment with that of other G7 countries?
Thank you for your question and for underlining the important link between health generally — mental health in particular — and the well-being and stability of our society and our economy.
This government invests heavily in health, as you know, notwithstanding it being exclusively provincial jurisdiction. In that regard, the investments in mental health that are made to which you refer must also be viewed in light of the funds that the provinces dedicate through their own resources, as well as specific bilateral arrangements that the federal government and the provinces enter into. The Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance at the federal level are in regular discussions with their counterparts in the provinces and territories, and I have every confidence that the Minister of Health will be bringing forward additional ideas and receiving them from the provinces, whose responsibility it is to their citizens in the matters of health and mental health.
Thank you for that response, Senator Gold. Having noted yesterday, as well, that we still don’t have a dedicated minister for mental health and addictions and understanding that mental health parity means valuing mental health on par with physical health, I ask: Will the government show leadership and adopt a lifespan, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to achieving mental health parity, just as we do with gender parity and GBA Plus analysis and perspectives?
Thank you for the question. Colleague, I’m not aware of any plans of the government per se to implement that approach. But as all ministers have been tasked with identifying within their responsibilities the actions that need to be taken to address the overarching priorities of this government and how their ministries can contribute to that, I think this is an important question. I will certainly bring it to the minister’s attention at my first opportunity.
