Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to Canadian Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Canadians living with mental illness have been cast aside for too long, and too few sufferers dare ask for the help they need.
This week provides all Canadians with the opportunity to better understand mental illness. By encouraging those affected to seek help, we can reduce the burden of mental illness on sufferers and our society.
The negative attitude of the public and of health professionals only adds to the heavy burden on society and on sufferers, who deserve help and understanding instead.
I particularly want to pay tribute to Darrell Powell and his work on injury due to occupation and the link with mental illness. We thank him for his vision and his courage.