Mr. Speaker, it is time for the government to acknowledge the existence of gulf war syndrome. Watching from the visitors' gallery today are gulf war veterans Louise Richard, Maurice Binard and Susan Roirdon, wife of Terry Roirdon, whose death this April was officially caused by gulf war syndrome. Captain Roirdon died in the prime of his life.
They represent over 2,000 more infected soldiers. These veterans came to the Hill today to ask the government for answers. They deserve that much. They also deserve treatment.
The Liberal government has been unwilling to acknowledge or treat gulf war illness. Veterans are frustrated, sick and dying. They are tired of getting no response from the government. Canadian forces personnel are misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, untreated, then released from the service.
It is the minister's moral responsibility and his obligation to determine the following: Was the anthrax vaccine involved? Was exposure to depleted uranium to blame? Was it some other toxin?
These veterans have waged—