Mr. Speaker, the impact this pandemic has had on our mental health will far outlast this crisis. This is something we cannot ignore. I have held numerous virtual town halls in my riding with community leaders and business owners, talking about mental health and the impact on our constituents. I want to thank Dr. Jody Carrington for her powerful and inspirational message, and Pamela Morgan with Headstrong for her focus on rural businesses and farm families. Hundreds of people attended these sessions and shared their heartfelt stories of stress, anxiety, depression and, in many cases, suicide.
This cannot be the new normal. Canadians need hope that this will end.
However, instead of a recovery plan, the Liberals' budget had no strategy for how to permanently and safely end these lockdowns. The Liberals have failed miserably in accessing vaccines, meaning that these quarantines will extend. As Conservatives, we have focused on securing jobs and our economy and the recovery of the financial and mental health of Canadians.
As Dr. Carrington said, “We are all just here walking each other home”.