Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty has made a last-minute pitch to fellow federal politicians to get his private member's bill passed to establish a 988 national suicide prevention hotline before the current session ends Friday.
"I write today in hopes that Members can come together and pass this motion before the House adjourns for its winter break," Doherty says in a letter sent Wednesday to all 388 MPs in the House of Commons
"A true Team Canada approach means setting partisanship aside and working together to help Canadians. As elected officials and leaders, and especially during this period of difficulty as a nation, Canadians are counting on us."
The bills calls for doing away with the current 10-digit national suicide hotline number and instead consolidate all suicide crisis numbers into "one easy to remember three-digit hotline (988) that is accessible to all Canadians."
The number would also be consistent with the one being introduced in the United States, he adds. He says calls to the existing hotline have doubled during the pandemic.
"In my home province of British Columbia, local crisis hotlines have been overwhelmed, leading to longer wait times. We are also seeing increased rates of suicide in our First Nations, rural and remote communities."
While not a panacea, passing the bill would be a step in the right direction, he says.
"We can leave a legacy of action by breaking the stigma associated with mental illness and mental injury and eliminating unnecessary barriers for Canadians who choose to seek help. When minutes count, help should only be three-digits away."
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