The hon. member is probably aware that we participated in a fact finding exercise which recently resulted in the report on mental illnesses in Canada. This is the first statistical overview of mental illness in Canada and I would be the first to agree with the hon. member that this is a very serious question. Some people call it the orphan of the health care system. We are not different. It is true in other countries as well. That is no justification. We all realize that we need to ensure that mental health is integrated as a key component of our health care system.
I take heart from the fact that for example in my own province of Alberta, mental health is now integrated into the health regions so they can develop an integrated approach to both physical and mental health. Obviously that will be something interesting for us all to look at.
Let me also point out that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research dedicated over $30 million in the past fiscal year to fund research projects in universities, research institutes and teaching hospitals across our country that ultimately aim to improve the mental health of Canadians.