Liberals pledge $4.5B for mental health; will create transfer for provinces, territories – National | Globalnews.ca

Justin Trudeau says a re-elected Liberal government would give provinces and territories $4.5 billion over five years in funding for mental health.

The Liberal leader says the funding would be delivered through a new, permanent mental health transfer.

He is also promising $500 million over fours years to increase access to mental health on university and college campuses, which he says will support the hiring of 1,200 mental health counsellors.

Tuesday’s announcement, made in Ottawa, also includes the creation of a national, three-digit suicide prevention and mental health support hotline.

A Conservative motion to create such a hotline was unanimously supported by the House of Commons last December.

It’s the Liberals’ second mental health announcement in as many days — on Monday, they pledged $1.4 billion in additional funding over five years to co-develop an Indigenous mental health strategy.