Establish Canada mental health transfer
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to legislate parity between physical and mental health, ensure timely access to evidence-based, culturally appropriate publicly funded community mental health and substance-use services beyond hospitals and physicians, and establish a Canada Mental Health Transfer with an initial $4.5 billion disbursement to provinces and territories.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would create a stable federal transfer and an initial $4.5B to provinces and territories, enabling expanded community mental health and substance-use services.
- Legal parity between mental and physical health would reorient the public health system toward equal treatment, reducing pressure on emergency rooms and primary care.
- Funding evidence-based, culturally appropriate services beyond hospitals and physicians could improve timely access and reduce harms from untreated mental illness.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The proposed transfer and $4.5B initial payment may require significant federal spending and long-term commitments, creating fiscal trade-offs with other priorities.
- Delivering new services across provinces and territories could be complex, raising risks of uneven implementation and jurisdictional disputes.
- The petition lacks detailed implementation, accountability and measurable targets, so outcomes and value for money may be uncertain without clearer mechanisms.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas : Canada is experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And whereas : Too many Canadians are unable to access mental health or substance use supports in a timely manner. Lack of access to community-based mental health and substance use services increases demands on hospital emergency rooms and primary care providers. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness carries significant social and economic costs. Therefore, we the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Legislate parity between physical and mental health in Canada's universal public healthcare system; 2. Ensure timely access to evidence-based, culturally appropriate, publicly funded mental health and substance use services beyond hospital and physician settings; and 3. Establish the Canada Mental Health Transfer to sustainably fund the provision of mental health and substance use services and disburse an initial investment of $4.5 billion to the provinces and territories.
Government response
No government response is available yet.