Carolyn Bennett on Canada’s first mental health and addictions ministry

Guest: Carolyn Bennett, federal minister for mental health and addictions

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his cabinet last fall, Carolyn Bennett was named the first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. There were many different opinions about the appointment and her mandate, but inevitably they all came down to how the pandemic has ensured that mental health is on our minds like never before. The minister concurs that “more and more people are willing to share that they are struggling,” but as experts warn, concrete policy decisions and not just symbolic gestures are critical at this point in time. Canada’s first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett joins “This Matters” to explain what her next steps look like and the priorities of her mandate.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.