Veterans Affairs Committee on March 19th, 2013

[Dr. Eric Daxon]

You use that term “never” again, and I have a wall I have to contend with, but I'll speak plainly. Based on the Canadian exposures that I read in the report, all the exposures were level III, which means they're well below safety standards. Almost by definition, that means the likelihood of adverse health effects—and I'm being really cautious here—is very low. I'm speaking to two audiences. I'm speaking to you and I'm also speaking to my peers, because they will check up on me.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Therefore, going forward—

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peter Stoffer]

Sorry, Mr. Lizon.

Dr. Daxon, you said they were below safety standards. Do you mean they wouldn't have been above safety...? Okay. Now I've got it. I apologize.

[Dr. Eric Daxon]

The exposures were safe, to speak plainly.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peter Stoffer]

Yes, sir. Thank you.

Mr. Lizon, sorry.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Do you believe misconceptions about depleted uranium health effects can hurt soldiers and their families?

[Dr. Eric Daxon]

Yes, I do. The vignette about my neck pain is why. It was very much stress. I was treated for stress and I haven't had an episode since.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

The report states that you and your colleagues were asked if you thought the report was clear, accurate, coherent, and complete. Would you agree that these terms accurately describe this final report?

[Dr. Eric Daxon]

Yes, with one small exception. The term “shrapnel” is used in there, and in the U.S. that's a very narrowly defined term. It should have been “fragment”.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peter Stoffer]

Dr. Daxon, Mr. Lizon, thank you very much.

We greatly appreciate your time. Sorry for the cold weather you're experiencing here.

[Dr. Eric Daxon]

I love it. Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Peter Stoffer]

If there's anything you can present to us in writing in the future that you may think of, or if you have more testimony that you would like to add, we'd be honoured to have that.

On behalf of the committee, thank you very much for coming here.

Members of the committee, I'll just let you know that Thursday's meeting will be at 1 Wellington, near the Château.

Thank you. That's it. God love you.

The meeting is adjourned.