Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We know that millions of Canadians report unmet mental health care needs each year. We know that the Mental Health Commission of Canada's mental health strategy for Canada recommends raising the proportion of health spending that's devoted to mental health to 9% by 2022, over the current 7%.
Earlier this week I spoke with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. They said to me, “You don't need a crystal ball to forecast increased mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, perhaps even suicides or attempted suicides due to job loss, money problems, social isolation, etc., over the next months.”
I heard a reference to setting up a phone line, but Mr. Lucas, will the government be committing any additional resources to an expedited implementation of a Canadian mental health strategy, in light of the COVID-19 stress on Canadians?