Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of constituents of my riding of Courtenay—Alberni. They are citing that there are 165,000 new cases of brain injuries annually in Canada; that health and community service providers require more education regarding the intersection of brain injury, mental health and addiction; that the risk of suicide increases by 400% for a survivor of brain injury; that brain injury survivors face a 200% increase in risk of struggling with addictions after sustaining a brain injury; and that, despite the federal government's committing $11 million over 10 years to improve community support and mental health and addiction services, none are specifically targeted to brain injury.
The petitioners are calling upon the government to support my bill, Bill C-206, to develop a national strategy to support and improve brain injury awareness, prevention and treatment, as well as the rehabilitation and recovery of persons living with brain injury. Preferably, the petitioners would like this brain injury strategy implemented in the spring economic statement.