By Canadian Press

Trudeau appoints mental health and addiction minister to new cabinet

Oct 26, 2021 | 7:51 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has created a new ministry to tackle his elections promises on mental health and addictions.

Carolyn Bennett, who served recently as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, has been tapped to take on the new minister of mental health and addictions role.

The Liberals’ platform promised a new federal transfer of $4.5 billion over five years to provinces and territories to provide accessible, free mental-health services.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos will take over as health minister from Patty Hajdu, who became the face of the federal government’s response in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

One of the first orders of business will be negotiations with provinces and territories who have demanded the federal government take on a greater share of the cost of delivering health care. 

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He will also be responsible for the Public Health Agency of Canada, and will work closely with chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam as Canada navigates the fourth wave of the pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2021.

The Canadian Press