I am very concerned about the way the RCMP veteran is treated. If you think complexity is a problem for the CF veteran, the RCMP is even worse because they have to deal with two departments. There is no advocacy group for the veterans of the RCMP. There's an association, but they don't play much of a role in working to implement programs and benefits. Veterans Affairs Canada administers benefits on behalf of the RCMP. It's very complicated. On the CF side, you have the universality of service, which actually allows people to get out. On the RCMP side, you have the duty to accommodate, which actually keeps people in. If you're going to keep people in, you're going to be looking after them with health care programs and that sort of thing. So there's a dual role there that the RCMP plays. Veterans Affairs administers the benefits, yet the adjudication for benefits is also being done by Veterans Affairs. So it's very complex.
My intention is to meet with the new commissioner shortly and to start afresh. I'm a simple search-and-rescue technician from the air force, but I can't see why the Government of Canada would give money to the RCMP so that they can give the money to Veterans Affairs Canada so that they can administer benefits. Why don't they give the money directly to Veterans Affairs Canada to look after all veterans. It goes back to my theme of “one veteran”, which is less complex. It's the way to go.