This petition is entitled “Make Registered Psychotherapy Services Tax-Free.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas mental health ... is health care;

“Whereas the mental health crisis facing Ontarians has gotten worse with the pandemic;

“Whereas BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, women, and people with disabilities have historically faced significant barriers to accessing equitable health care services due to systemic discrimination;

“Whereas registered psychotherapists provide vital mental health services, especially as an early intervention;

“Whereas a 13% tax added to the cost of receiving psychotherapy services is another barrier for Ontarians seeking this vital care;

“Whereas registered psychotherapists are still required to collect HST from their clients, while most other mental health professionals have been exempted;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass the Making Psychotherapy Services Tax-Free Act” by MPPs Andrew and France Gélinas “immediately, to remove this barrier to access to mental health services.”

I firmly support this petition. I have affixed my signature and will hand it to Wyatt for the table.

Mental health care is health care, and it should be part of medicare. It must be made accessible to all those in need of it when they need it, regardless of their financial situation, especially as we’ve seen spikes in depression, anxiety, eating disorders, evictions and other mental health challenges during the pandemic and as a response to the pressures of the affordability crisis and the trauma of systemic discrimination. Here in Ontario, every Ontarian should be able to access mental health supports with their health card and not their credit card.

My bill, Making Psychotherapy Services Tax-Free Act, 2023, co-sponsored by our fantastic health critic, the MPP for Nickel Belt, will immediately remove the 13% HST tax from registered psychotherapy services as a critical, cost-saving first step and an immediate change this government can make to move our province in the right direction towards mental health care being fully incorporated into our publicly funded health care system.

Ms. Brady moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 62, An Act to provide for the development of a farmland and arable land strategy and an advisory committee on farmland and arable land / Projet de loi 62, Loi prévoyant l’élaboration d’une stratégie en matière de terres agricoles et de terres arables et la création d’un comité consultatif des terres agricoles et des terres arables.