Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you all for being here.
I really want to start by commending both of your organizations for taking on the issue of PTSD, especially when you noted that there is a lot of stigma and that people are afraid to talk about it and come forward. It's really wonderful to see both of your organizations really tackle this head on.
I want to ask a few questions about PTSD because I think it's really easy to say a lot this health stuff falls under provincial jurisdiction and that there's no real role for the federal government. I disagree with that for two reasons. The first is that if you look at who first responders are, many of them do fall under federal jurisdiction; veterans and RCMP officers are examples. Also, beyond that, I think that mental health is a public health issue. This is about public health. We have the Public Health Agency of Canada. There is a role here federally.
Looking at PTSD, if the federal government were to recognize the prevalence and seriousness of PTSD, I would imagine that we would need to allocate resources towards early detection, proper awareness, proper treatment, reducing stigma. Those are some areas I think we should tackle. I would see that in something like a coordinated task force that would definitely need to have first responders involved, veterans involved, medical personnel and other relevant groups really taking from the community.
That's part of a response that I could see from the federal government.
I wonder if you have any comments on that, if you'd like to add to it, if I'm off base, if there are things you think that we should be doing.