Discussion · Government Orders
Gord Johns NDP
“Mental illness costs our economy about $200 billion a year. The government calls a pipeline nation-building because it might bring in $20 billion a year. Mental illness hurts our economy ten times more than that pipeline helps it. The government should treat mental health care as nation-building.”
“Mr. Speaker, build Canada strong and nation building should also be about plugging economic leakages. The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that mental health costs our economy nearly $200 billion a year. That is roughly 6% of Canada’s GDP. The government is promoting its new pipeline as nation building because it could add more than $20 billion a year to GDP. That is about 0.6% of our GDP. To be clear, mental illness is imposing an economic burden roughly 10 times larger than the annual GDP benefit the government projects from this pipeline. If a potential 0.6% increase in GDP warrants nation-building action, why is the Liberal government not dealing with the economic burden approaching 6% of the GDP, namely unaddressed mental illness, that is impacting our economy?”
Mr. Speaker, build Canada strong and nation building should also be about plugging economic leakages. The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that mental health costs our economy nearly $200 billion a year. That is roughly 6% of Canada’s GDP. The government is promoting its new pipeline as nation building because it could add more than $20 billion a year to GDP. That is about 0.6% of our GDP. To be clear, mental illness is imposing an economic burden roughly 10 times larger than the annual GDP benefit the government projects from this pipeline. If a potential 0.6% increase in GDP warrants nation-building action, why is the Liberal government not dealing with the economic burden approaching 6% of the GDP, namely unaddressed mental illness, that is impacting our economy?