QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Health

Thank you, minister. Canada is facing a mental health crisis. Over the past decade, the number of Canadians reporting good mental health has declined significantly, with particularly concerning trends among young Canadians, whose outlook and quality of life have worsened in recent years.

As in other areas of our health care system, this crisis is compounded by long wait times, limited access to providers and significant disparities in care, depending on where Canadians live. Canadians do expect a system that responds with urgency, coordination and effective support. Instead, too many are left waiting without the care they need.

Minister, would you acknowledge that Canada’s mental health care system is failing to adequately support those who need help the most? What are you prepared to do about it?

As you may know, I am working very closely with my partners to address the mental health crisis in the country. Again, it’s multi‑dimensional. For young people, as you may know, I just launched consultations on men’s and boys’ health and mental health. I’m working with provinces on this specific issue to see how we can address and improve it.

What you need to know is that, when we talk about mental health, of course, we know the system is under strain, but we are also working with many organizations across the country to specifically address mental health challenges in rural and remote communities. All the consultations we are doing right now are focussing on this population.

Minister, despite repeated federal interventions and funding announcements, Canadians continue to report significant barriers to accessing mental health care in a timely manner.

What is wrong with our current approach? When can Canadians expect to see some real progress in the delivery of mental health services? Can you give us a timetable?

As you know, I don’t deliver services directly. However, mental health is a priority that I’m working on, together with my provincial and territorial partners. That’s one of the priorities.

As you may know, I have three priorities in my portfolio. The first is to help Canadians access primary care. I don’t provide services, but I wanted to point out that I intend to work together with the provinces. My second priority is mental health. Again, I have to work together with the provinces and territories, which are the ones that provide the services. In terms of recruitment, we’re talking about health care professionals, to increase the types of professionals that we can bring in to provide care to people, whether it’s in urban areas —