Madam Speaker, before I get into this massive deficit budget, I want to say a few words about the bow tie I am wearing. My wife, Caro, gave it to me at the beginning of November. She asked me to wear it for the entire month of November to raise awareness about the reality of men who, like me, have had to deal with a diagnosis of prostate cancer. I was fortunate to be diagnosed early, so they were able to remove this insidious thing that was inside me. Today, I am here and able to speak to Canadians about the importance, especially for men, of seeking treatment and, above all, getting tested.
Here is a short excerpt from the Procure website, which sells this bow tie precisely to raise awareness among men: “The most common of male cancers, [prostate] cancer is sneaky. It causes few or no symptoms at first. However, it is curable if discovered early enough, limited to the prostate, and treated in a timely manner.” The way to get treated in a timely manner is to get examined by a doctor.