Evidence of meeting #61 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was main.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP Peter Stoffer
Thank you, Minister.
Mr. Lizon, you've been trumped by the parliamentary secretary. She'll be splitting your time but she'll be first.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
There was some discussion earlier that there seems to be some rush, Minister, in having you appear here. What is that needless rush? For the clarification of members of the committee, and for their edification, I've just pulled out a copy of the Standing Orders. In chapter 10, page 54, it says that in every session main estimates need to be tabled by March 1, or deemed to have been tabled by March 1, and then it comes back to committees to put any questions to the minister. This is something that happens each and every year. It's certainly not something new.
Over to you, Mr. Lizon.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Wladyslaw Lizon Conservative Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, good morning. I would like to join my colleagues in welcoming you and everybody this morning to this committee. Minister, you briefly mentioned the programs in your remarks and answers, but I would like to ask you about the helmets to hardhats program and the program to hire a veteran that your department has been focused on.
Can you explain to this committee how these programs will benefit our veterans?
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Hire a veteran and helmets to hardhats are part of an array by which we are trying to help our veterans transition to civilian life. Helmets to hardhats is oriented towards construction. Companies such as TransCanada have invested $1 million in this initiative, and the unions are investing as much money. Moreover, they are offering their skills and expertise to help veterans translate the experience they have acquired in the forces to construction. If you were operating machinery in the Canadian Forces, then you can get the certification required to get your cards and
the accreditations you need to work in construction.
We also have provincial governments, such as those in Alberta and Ontario, that have stepped in. We are open to any additional form of partnership to get more people involved as there is a strong need for labour in construction in all parts of the country.
Regarding the hire-a-veteran program, we are working as a government, and our parliamentary secretary is showing leadership. We are offering in our local communities, in partnership with local entrepreneurs, opportunities for them to reach out and hire a veteran. These are ongoing initiatives and so far we've been getting pretty good results.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Wladyslaw Lizon Conservative Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Yes, Minister, actually we are working in our constituencies, connecting with the potential employers. We will be collecting information for a database, and I hope in a relatively short time we will start seeing results of that new initiative.
Can you tell the committee, Minister, in a little bit more detail, about the partnership with CN Rail? How many positions has CN Rail committed to offer to our veterans?
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
CN Rail is expecting that within the coming years there will be more than 1,000 jobs available, and they have announced that they will open those positions up to veterans. This is a way for a large company to meet its needs in terms of labour resources and to recognize the expertise, knowledge, and skill of our veterans.
Canadian veterans, as you know, have been trained all their lives and have great qualities of discipline and loyalty and work ethic that are above those of many others. That's why Canadian veterans are wanted at all levels of the work market. They are skilled. If we consider all the investment that has been made in the training that our military people have received throughout their careers, they are quite a great asset for a company to acquire.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP Peter Stoffer
Thank you, Minister.
We'll now go to Ms. Papillon for our second round, for four minutes.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Annick Papillon NDP Québec, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, what is the annual cost of Ste. Anne's Hospital and what will be the budget impact of its transfer to the province of Quebec?
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
I could send you the exact figures involved in that transfer.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Instead of giving you a random figure, I will send you the exact information.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Annick Papillon NDP Québec, QC
Very well.
Once the Ste. Anne's Hospital transfer is completed, do you intend to transfer the available funds to other long-term care programs our veterans have been calling for?
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Several hundred veterans will still be patients at the hospital when the transfer is made. The transfer agreement we are negotiating with the Government of Quebec currently contains a significant clause whereby we would pay for the beds occupied by veterans. So we will have to make substantial investments to ensure that our veterans receive quality care, in both official languages.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Annick Papillon NDP Québec, QC
Do you intend to preserve the expertise of the Ste. Anne's Hospital staff, who are internationally renowned for the care they provide to veterans?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Absolutely, Ms. Papillon. We are currently facing a clientele problem. The number of veterans at the hospital is unfortunately dropping monthly. So the hospital management has a staff surplus. If we do not take action, the staff will have a reduced workload, and that will jeopardize not only the jobs, but also the quality of care. We are transferring the hospital in partnership with the Quebec government in order to maintain the quality of care.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
Annick Papillon NDP Québec, QC
Veterans Affairs Canada had 3,947 employees in 2009-2010, and it will have considerably fewer employees in 2013-2014, when the number is projected to be 3,463. However, those projections do not take into account the cuts made in the last budget. Will the number of employees be revised downward again in the 2013-2014 Report on Plans and Priorities?
At the Quebec City office, in my riding and our region, 11 client service agent positions have been cut. Veterans regularly drop by my office to complain about the lack of front-line services. You have talked a lot about cutting red tape. It's true that no one likes to fill out forms, but there's nothing like having access to a real live person when we feel overwhelmed by a lack of answers. Will you revise the number of employees in the report?
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
I am surprised by your question. We are hiring people in sectors where needs are the greatest. To answer your question, the figures provided take into account all the measures we are putting forward and our projections, since we adjust the number of employees based on the needs, especially in the regions and close to military bases, in areas such as Valcartier, Trenton and near Petawawa. We are planning to hire more case managers, and we are exceeding our ratios in terms of the number of case managers available per veteran.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
On the contrary, people have been hired at the Valcartier office and the Quebec City office, over the past year, to adjust to the reality.