Merci, Mr. Chair.
Congratulations to you all for your work.
I have a few questions. And if you can't answer the questions today, I'd appreciate it if you would send answers to the chair in writing.
First of all, on post-traumatic stress disorder, I've known that it leads to depression and suicide, but I'm wondering, does it lead to other diagnoses, such as chronic pain syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome, which I dealt with as a personal injury solicitor in Alberta? It does in personal injury cases. I saw many other diagnoses come from this, and I have to say that the effects are absolutely terrible. The people who have this don't even realize it. They think they're not sane. It comes down to that in part, and I understand that it shows up two to three, even four or five years later.
Mr. Passey, I'm interested in your comments on this in particular. In 2003 you were critical of the then Liberal government in relation to their ability to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Are you seeing a change in government as far as a movement toward at least addressing and recognizing the disease? Of course you know the government moves slowly because it's so big, much like the military does sometimes, but are we moving in the right direction with this?
And finally, do we have the proper assessment or measurement tools in place to be able to diagnose it? Are they sufficient now?