Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, we just want to make the point that we believe psychological services should be exempt from the GST and HST. We've heard significant concerns from professionals in the field that this is not a positive change. This may well discourage people from seeking the kind of service they need.
We know from study after study the prevalence of mental health concerns in this country, and Canada does a particularly bad job of addressing mental health services in Canada, not certainly due to any of the work of professionals or community agencies, but because of the lack of government support and outreach in this area.
I know in my own community we have a significant concern that mental health issues are not being addressed after the deinstitutionalization of mental health services in the 1970s. Many people were just put on the street and left to fend for themselves. Community agencies end up picking up the slack, or we find our law enforcement agencies end up dealing with mental health concerns. They do the best job they can, but really, people need to have access to psychological services in a more timely and more accessible way.
Our amendment clarifies the GST/HST eligibility in a manner that's consistent with the recommendations from the Psychological Association. In summary, it's important that Canadians not be discouraged from seeking psychological care when needed.
Thank you.