Catherine Fife MPP, Waterloo

Government of Ontario

Mental health care is health care: MPP Fife

Published on October 30, 2024

By MPP Catherine Fife

QUEEN'S PARK - Mental health care is health care, and we need to treat it as such.

In 2020, the waitlist to access counselling and therapy was 67 days; now, it's two and a half years. There is no help available for people who have the courage to ask for it.

I'm working with two families in Waterloo region who are turning their grief, following the loss of their daughters, into advocacy.

The people of Ontario want its legislators to show leadership and work together. This week, the official opposition gave the government the opportunity to do the right thing and vote in favour of making sure that people have universal access to mental health services.

I offered to work across the aisle to bring about evidence-based, empathetic solutions that would save lives.

Every member of the government voted "No".