Mr. Speaker, an independent autopsy performed on deceased Captain Terry Riordon proves conclusively that gulf war illness exists and that depleted uranium is the probably cause. Captain Riordon's wife, Sue Riordon, endured the double misery of watching her husband die a slow and agonizing death and hearing the government deny that he was suffering from anything but stress.
It is one thing for the government to send our troops to war. It is entirely another to deny they are sick as a result of that war, but that is exactly the government's record. It has continually denied the existence of any gulf war syndrome and publicly insisted that depleted uranium is essentially safe even though its own internal documents warn personnel to wear safety gear when handling this substance.
It is time to recognize the illness, care for the veterans and isolate the toxin that has caused a decade of pain for hundreds of vets. It is time for the government to be held accountable. We honour the courage of Sue Riordon in her quest for the truth.