Okay.
Evidence of meeting #32 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was accounts.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #32 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was accounts.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Butler, for such a rushed process.
Excuse me, but we have one small question on division 1.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Butler, I will be brief.
To your knowledge, is the government thinking about introducing a bill that could prevent collective recourse to recover the money for 2006 to 2012? Has any work been done on that?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Policy Division, Policy, Communications and Commemoration Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'm not sure I understand the question. Could you repeat the question?
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
The clawback started in 2006, but the bill is talking about the refund starting in 2012. There might be a recourse for those affected from 2006 and 2012. Is the department working right now on trying to prevent any type of recourse before the tribunals, for example, through a bill or through an act?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Policy Division, Policy, Communications and Commemoration Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs
The simple answer to that, Mr. Chair, would be no, not at this time.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Let me jump to Mr. Brison to do division 1.
Mr. Brison, could I ask you to be as brief as possible? I want to try to fit in every division.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
That was a rather long introduction to my question. Yes, certainly.
How many veterans are expected to receive benefits under this division and how much will the payments total?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Policy Division, Policy, Communications and Commemoration Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs
Approximately 5,500 veterans will benefit from this one-time compensated repayment, and the total benefits paid out under this initiative will be approximately $19.9 million.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Are the payments under the division covered by the class action lawsuit Manuge v. Canada and the subsequent court order, or do they fall outside that lawsuit?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Policy Division, Policy, Communications and Commemoration Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs
They are quite separate and distinct from the lawsuit. The Manuge class action involved the SISIP program administered by the Department of National Defence. This bill relates to only three programs that are administered by Veterans Affairs Canada, so the Manuge decision, you could suggest, was the prelude to the decision by government, on a voluntary basis, if you will, to make a decision to cease offsetting the disability pension against these three programs that veterans enjoy.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Disabled RCMP veterans also had their benefits reduced by their service income security insurance plan long-term disability. What's the status of their claim for compensation?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Policy Division, Policy, Communications and Commemoration Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'm not really qualified to speak to that claim because it is a separate claim involving the RCMP, but I can tell you to my knowledge a settlement has been proposed, and I think you will find information about that on their website.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you very much, Mr. Butler. We appreciate your time.
We're going to skip a bit. I'm going to ask the officials to be as flexible as possible. Two parties want to ask questions on division 20.
Division 20 officials, please.
Welcome back to the committee. Thank you for being with us.
We'll go back to Mr. Cullen, please.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to our officials again.
For monetary penalties for employers who abuse the TFW program, has the department considered what the amounts of those penalties would look like?
May 6th, 2014 / 5:10 p.m.
Alexis Conrad Director General, Temporary Foreign Worker Directorate, Department of Employment and Social Development
I expect those details will come through the regulatory process. At this point the legislation is simply the enabling legislation that allows the minister to build the regulatory structure on top and so—
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Is a range being contemplated right now? Are you looking to other programs and other penalties that have been administered to employers as guidance for finance?
5:10 p.m.
Director General, Temporary Foreign Worker Directorate, Department of Employment and Social Development
Certainly through the process we look at other AMP regimes. We look inside the program and the minister will come forward with a specific proposal.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
At the current pace of those regulations moving through when would you imagine these penalties could be applied to employers who abuse the program?
5:10 p.m.
Director General, Temporary Foreign Worker Directorate, Department of Employment and Social Development
I couldn't put a specific date on it. I can say that the minister is extremely motivated to move this file forward as soon as possible.