Question Period (14 May 2024)

From Hansard (14 May 2024)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 2:43:05 PM.

 Provision of Care for Addictions

Mr. Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every single day in this Assembly we raise the alarming number of overdose deaths in our communities. And every single day the minister boasts about the increased number of treatment beds available.

Now, Mr. Speaker, treatment is important, but those beds don’t help if people like Peter Godfrey are turned away when they are ready to access them. And the minister should know that there is a short window of opportunity for those ready to seek help. He should also know that the shame people face when they are turned away can keep them from asking for help again.

So to the minister: is this your solution to the addictions crisis, denying people access to treatment when they are ready to attend?

Hon. Mr. T. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve said many times, there are three pillars to the government’s action plan on mental health and addictions. The first pillar is the expanded capacity. But the second pillar is to make access more available to people who are seeking treatment. That means making it easier for people to access spaces. That means improving the system to make it simpler for those who want to receive that treatment to access those spaces, Mr. Speaker.

Now as we dealt with the . . . or talked about the situation yesterday, I met with Bonnie and discussed the situation with Peter. And, Mr. Speaker, that situation occurred before the transition that we’re talking about happened.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the third pillar of that plan is also to provide a recovery-oriented system of care which focuses on the holistic treatment of individuals to ensure that they’re getting the specific resources that they need to address their individual circumstances. That is the plan that this government has implemented, Mr. Speaker, and we’ll . . .

---

Back to 2023/2024 Session