Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with a personal story as to why we ask these questions and why we press the government to improve services for veterans with PTSD.
Corporal Lionel Desmond was an injured Afghan veteran medically released from the Canadian Armed Forced through its much discussed transitional organization, the Joint Personnel Support Unit. After struggling for some time with his demons as a veteran, Lionel succumbed to them in the most terrible way, sadly taking three members of his family with him.
We owe it to Lionel, Shanna, Aaliyah and Brenda to ensure that their suffering is not in vain. We definitely owe it to Lionel's sister, Cassandra Desmond, who is one of the strongest people one will ever meet. After suffering tragedy and loss on a scale unimaginable to most Canadians, she presses forward and is fighting for change.
It was an honour to meet Cassandra. New Democrats and all members of Parliament are here working and talking about PTSD because of her and her determination.