Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by nearly 1,000 Canadians, mainly from my riding of Richmond Centre—Marpole, who are concerned about mental health and about suicide prevention in Canada.
The petitioners note that one in five Canadians experiences a mental health challenge each year, that many youth are affected and that suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among Canadians aged 15 to 34. They believe that people struggling with mental illness deserve treatment, support and a message of hope, not an option of death.
Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 to exclude mental illness from MAID, and to invest in critical resources in mental health services for Canadians.
I thank the petitioners for bringing this important matter before Parliament.