OTTAWA — A Conservative member of Parliament is questioning 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 hotline that people in crisis could call for help by dialing 988.
Conservative MP Todd Doherty spearheaded the creation of the three-digit crisis number and says calls to crisis lines have gone up dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doherty says he is concerned that a consultation by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is taking too long, and says every day the line is delayed a life could be lost.
Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett has expressed support for establishing the 988-hotline, as has the Canada 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 option, and is set to be completed on January 31, 2022.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
