Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister announcing a new Youth Mental Health Fund

April 9, 2024 - Ottawa, ON

Good morning.

First, I will say a few things about new measures our government is taking through our upcoming federal budget to improve access to mental health services for younger Canadians.

I will then pass it over to Minister Ya'ara Saks who will elaborate on the details of those measures.

Then Mark Holland will speak about his ongoing work to improve health care across Canada.

Finally, Minister Marci Ien will deliver a few remarks.

Over the past two weeks, our government has been out across the country talking about generational fairness.

That’s because today, too many younger Canadians feel as though the deck is stacked against them. They can get a good job, they can work hard, but far too often, the reward of a secure, prosperous middle class life remains out of reach.

We want their hard work to be rewarded. And we have a plan to help every generation—especially younger Canadians—get ahead.

We are doing this by turbocharging the construction of new homes across the country. Among the many new measures we have announced over the past few days is a $15 billion top-up to our Apartment Construction Loan Program. And we are taking new action to protect renters’ rights and unlock pathways for them to become homeowners.

We are making life cost less with measures like building more affordable child care spaces and delivering free contraceptives through our national pharmacare plan.

We are growing the economy in a way that is shared by everyone, including by investing in cutting-edge technologies—like AI—that will boost our productivity and create more good-paying jobs for Canadians.

And today, we are announcing new measures to improve access to mental health services for younger Canadians.

This is a really important part of ensuring generational fairness. We want younger Canadians to have the support they need so they are set up for success.

That is why, in the budget, we will be announcing a new, $500 million Youth Mental Health Fund. The Fund will help community mental health organizations across the country provide more access to mental health care for younger Canadians right in their communities.

Because better funding for mental health services means that younger Canadians can get the help they need right when—and where—they need it most.

Today’s announcement builds on the historic investment we made in last year’s budget of nearly $200 billion over 10 years to improve health care for Canadians, including improving access to mental health, substance use, and addictions services.

Thank you very much. I will now pass it over to Minister Saks.