CMHA congratulates the Liberal Party of Canada on its election victory and urges parties to find common ground on mental health 

Apr 29, 2025

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) extends our congratulations to Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party of Canada on their electoral victory. As a leading voice in mental health and substance use health advocacy and service delivery, CMHA looks forward to collaborating with the new government to address the growing demand for free, timely, and accessible care across our country. 

As a trusted service provider, CMHA witnesses firsthand the impact of an underfunded and fragmented mental healthcare system, particularly on people who are marginalized and underserved.  

CMHA calls on the new government to take immediate action so that all people in Canada have access to free, on-demand mental health and substance use health services. This is in line with the Liberal Party’s commitment to advance “a strong public health care system that improves and modernizes over time, responds to changing needs, and is available wherever and whenever Canadians need care”  

We applaud specific commitments made by the Liberal Party including:​ 

• Making permanent the Youth Mental Health Fund to help community health organizations provide more care for younger Canadians.  
• Continuing to fund the 9-8-8 national suicide crisis helpline.
• Investing $6 billion to build deeply affordable housing, supportive housing, and shelters in recognition of the link between housing and positive mental health outcomes.
• Launching a Task Force for Public Health Care Innovation to invest and scale up made-in Canada public health care solutions, improve the quality of data, and evaluate and ensure accountability in public investments in health care.

While we are encouraged by the Liberal commitment to build subsidized affordable housing, missing however, are meaningful supports for people living with addictions or experiencing homelessness. This is despite their great need for care.   

Also missing is a commitment to funding mental health on par with physical health. CMHA urges the new government to work across party lines to commit, in their first parliamentary session, to addressing the disparity between mental and physical health in the Canada Health Act, as well as ensuring mental health and substance use health care is equitably funded through federal health transfers. 

External threats to our economy—and to Canadian livelihoods—will only deepen people’s distress and their suffering. American tariffs and trade uncertainty will likely require significant public investments; these investments should come alongside investments in our healthcare system and social safety net. As the cost of living soars, Canadians can’t help but view mental health care as a luxury. That’s because much mental health care is wrongfully excluded from our public health care system. As a result, many Canadians must go without mental health, addiction and substance use health care.  

Community-based mental health organizations try to fill the gaps. An important part of our health ecosystem, these agencies support people before, during and after medical care, reducing the need for hospital, paramedic and police services and taking pressure off our health, judicial, and correctional systems. However, this community-based care is chronically underfunded and undervalued and cannot meet the country’s growing mental health needs. Federal leadership is needed to ensure funding reaches these community care providers.  

CMHA has laid out a roadmap for action. Read our recommendations.  

CMHA is ready to work with the new government to ensure every Canadian has access to the mental health care they need, when and where they need it. 

About the Canadian Mental Health Association 

Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health federation in Canada. Through a presence in more than 330 communities across every province and Yukon, CMHA provides advocacy, programs and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive. For more information visit www.cmha.ca.  

Media contact 

Emma Higgins 
National Manager, Communications
Canadian Mental Health Association 
289-943-7710
[email protected]