That's exactly my question.
First, in no way am I talking about delay. I'm honouring the convening of the conference within 12 months. The questions I'm going to ask you are to make sure we have the proper people around that table.
Your bill, Mr. Doherty, has specifically indicated certain ministries that you want around that table, and I think you're quite right to have required the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Of course, I think it is an omission that you don't have the Minister of Public Safety, which, of course, we will propose amending, because you make reference to the RCMP, and the Minister of Public Safety is, of course, the minister responsible for public safety. I'm going to be moving an amendment to add the Minister of Public Safety at this conference for sure. I'm also going to be moving that we add the ministry responsible for women.
I want to talk about indigenous people, because we know with the residential schools issue that probably, outside of military and first responders, the largest incidence of PTSD in the country is in our indigenous population. Research has been conducted that shows there are wide variations, but a 2003 study on B.C. residential school survivors put PTSD rates as high as 64%. Michael Pond, who has worked with first nations communities for 40 years, estimates PTSD rates could be as high as 90% in some communities.
I'm also going to ask if you would be amenable to our adding the minister responsible for indigenous affairs to this conference to make sure that PTSD, as it affects our indigenous population, is also heard in the development of a national framework.