Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely true that there is a crisis within our veterans community with respect to mental health issues. Of all of the veterans who are receiving benefits under the new veterans charter, 60% of them report at least one mental health condition. That is an alarming statistic.
The specific question asked of me by the member is in terms of tracking casualties and the suggestion put forward is that suicide after release from the forces should be counted as a casualty of war. I believe it is an excellent suggestion. Perhaps tracking in that manner would better help the Department of Veterans Affairs and our Department of National Defence to get a real handle on the magnitude of this problem and better approach strategies for prevention.