On September 15, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau visited Fredericton, addressing his supporters at The Roundhouse at Picaroons.
While media were told that no questions were to be asked, The Brunswickan’s News Editor, Taylor Chalker, was able to interview Trudeau and learn more about his platform promises for post-secondary students.
In the 89-page document outlining the platform for the Liberal Party, less than one page is dedicated to the actions that would support young Canadians. Of this, only two paragraphs dictate the efforts that will be taken to improve student mental health support.
“[We will] introduce a new fund for student well-being to improve wait times and increase access to mental health care at colleges and universities,” reads the party platform, which can be found online here. “The fund will support the hiring of up to 1,200 new mental health care counsellors, including those who can support the needs of BIPOC students, at post-secondary institutions across Canada.”
When asked what considerations will be taken when choosing how to divide this resource among institutions, Trudeau explained that they will, “go where they are needed.”
“We’re going to make sure that they’re going where they’re needed. We’ll work with the provinces on their allocations, we’ll make sure that we’re getting those frontline mental health workers that need to be there,” explained Trudeau. “We’re putting billions of dollars towards it.”
He explained that the funding will be dealt with similarly to how childcare funding was dealt with during the pandemic, with specific targets being set and evaluated.
“They’re going to hit those targets so we can send them money,” he explained.