Some will argue that leaving the job to a junior cabinet minister relegates it to second-class status, but a dedicated minister is a good approach and Ms. Bennett is well-suited to the role
One of the few surprises in Tuesday’s unveiling of the new federal cabinet was the appointment of Carolyn Bennett as the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.But at a time when mental health is on our minds like never before – thanks largely to the psychological beat-down COVID-19 has delivered,Research conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association found 44 per cent of women and 32 per cent of men have experienced a decline in mental health since the start of the pandemic.
During the recent federal election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that, if re-elected, a Liberal government would invest $4.5-billion over five years to improve access to mental health care. He later said an annual transfer of mental health funds would become a permanent fixture. As the opioids crisis grew, the previous government invested in supervised injection sites, but did so overly cautiously. It also funded some innovative programs such asMost recently, Liberal ministers have mused aloud about decriminalization. This is hardly a radical idea anymore; even police chiefs have come around to the view that criminalizing drug use does more harm than good.
Frankly, these are measures that should have been taken before the election, and there is no longer an excuse for dithering.
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