Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the cluster of progressive neurological symptoms of unknown etiology in New Brunswick. The people of my beautiful province need our help, and it is long past time we acknowledge the patients and their families, who have been fighting this battle for years. They deserve answers. They deserve action. They deserve a diagnosis so we can begin to treat them, improve their quality of life and save lives.
To all the heroes who have been shouting from the rooftops when no one was listening, all of New Brunswick owes them a debt of gratitude. We must come together now to get to the bottom of this unsettling situation. When the first cases began and the alarm was raised, too often those in a position of power chose to look away and chose to avoid drawing attention to the matter by downplaying and detracting.
New Brunswick matters. Our health matters. We do not yet know what is causing the devastating and rapid onset of symptoms that patients are experiencing. We do not know why those living in the Acadian Peninsula and indigenous and young people under 45 are among the most afflicted, but we owe it to them to find out.
I call on our government to be there and to work with experts and provincial partners to finally end the suffering and silence.