I believe that, first of all, we need to talk about transparency and what transparency means. I'm going to tell you—not just because we've served your country—why this is so important to Canadian citizens. Other people have mentioned that we have communities that surround these bases. If we are not coming up with the proper data because we are "interpreting" it and giving you the DND's interpretation, it means that we are in a dangerous place for public safety.
I am concerned for my family, but why are we all here? These people on the screen are incredibly brave. You have no idea, living day in and day out, what we have gone through for the last 12 months. However, why are we here? We're here because we're the older generation. I always called myself the mom, the mom of the base. The kids come in at 20 years old, learning to be pilots. Guess what? They are incredible. They are smart. They send us the best. The problem is that they're alone. They need somebody older who has four kids, like me, who can listen to life.
Why haven't I left with Parkinson's disease? I could possibly, at least, get disability; I don't know if I can. I'm very scared to leave because I have four children who are going through their education, and a family. I am doing it for the next generation. If you tell me that I don't get a dime of compensation, if I know for a fact that a mother does not have to have a discussion with her son about disability after 10 years of medication wearing off and about how Parkinson's will become a big part of our lives, I want to know that there's a woman out there who raises her child and never knows I exist.
The people here, as well.... We do this for the next generation. We do this for the Canadian public. We do this for the kids in the day care centres and for every community. We fight for you. That's why we're here.