(Ottawa) A Conservative MP wonders why a national suicide prevention hotline approved by the House of Commons last year still does not exist.
MPs from all parties voted in December 2020 for “immediate action” to set up a suicide prevention line that people in crisis could call by dialing 988.
Spearheading the project, Conservative MP Todd Doherty has argued that calls to crisis lines have increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Doherty said he is concerned that a consultation conducted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is taking too long. According to him, every day that the creation of the line is delayed, a life can be lost.
Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett has expressed support for establishing the 988 helpline, as has the Canadian Suicide Prevention Service, which operates an 11-digit helpline.
The CRTC says its consultation is looking at a number of issues, including whether there should be a text message option, and will end next year.