Thank you. I appreciate that.
Minister, your colleague, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said in September that the government is moving towards a regulated safer supply of drugs in response to the toxic drug crisis. However, to date, the government has only supported small-scale pilot projects while thousands of Canadians die every year, including in your riding, because of the contaminated supply. Now the Conservative leader is spreading misinformation that safe supply is a failed experiment.
The substance use and addiction program is significantly oversubscribed. I just found out, on a question on the Order Paper, that the first call for proposals was able to provide funding only for 11.8% of what was sought, while the second call for proposals provided 17% of the funding sought. That funding goes to a range of programs related to not just safer supply, but also prevention, harm reduction and treatment.
In light of the funding shortfall, has the Minister of Health sought from you any additional funding to support safer supply programs?