My question is to the Premier.

Times are tough, and coping is hard for anyone. People also struggling with mental health issues are really up against it, with nowhere to turn and dangerous waiting lists.

The Auditor General basically said we were doing a terrible job with youth mental health back in 2018, and now, heading into 2023, we’re terribly beyond capacity and things are really bad.

Ashley is a young woman in my community who has spent too much time asking and waiting for help. She has a question for the Premier. She asks, “At Lakeridge Health, why is the wait time to see a psychiatrist over two years long? Why does it take a trip to the emergency room in active crisis to maybe be seen sooner? It always has to escalate. But all too often, folks in crisis are sent home from the ER and told to wait years.”

So my question is Ashley’s question: Why is the wait time to see a psychiatrist over two years’ long for youth in my community?