Mr. Speaker, on the 25th anniversary of the Somalia affair, Australia, not Canada, has responded to the wrong done to its own. The Australian minister for veterans affairs announced that there will be $2.1 million to support concerned veterans who have taken mefloquine or tafenoquine.
Why is Canada missing in action for our veterans? The Australian initiative responds to testimony heard from veterans during a senate inquiry and consultation forums across Australia. In response to the difficult sharing of their testimony, Australia is also providing veterans 24-7 free, confidential, nationwide counselling.
Australian veterans and their words matter. Why is the testimony of Canadian veterans being ignored? Opposition members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs; Dr. Nevin, executive director of the Quinism Foundation; and our Royal Canadian Legion continue to call on Canada's Prime Minister to support research on mefloquine poisoning among Canadian veterans and to reopen an inquiry that would clear the names of Canadian soldiers and the Canadian Airborne Regiment.