Veterans Affairs Committee on March 20th, 2023

[Paul Ledwell]

I think it was very well documented here at committee and contained in the media. We indicated that very openly. It was known.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Ledwell.

To clarify, there was no letter sent to veterans. They had to be paying attention to what was happening within committee to get the information as to how to get in touch to provide their experiences.

[Paul Ledwell]

That's correct. I would say, in addition to the committee in terms of public discourse, there was a lot of attention on this issue, so it would be very surprising to know a veteran who might not have seen that. It was so well covered publicly.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you for your answers.

Before he had to leave, I brought up to the minister the issue of the clawbacks of disability pensions for women who won the Merlo Davidson class action lawsuit. The minister was not able to provide a thorough response due to timing.

Can you speak to whether these clawbacks will be stopping immediately for these women?

[Paul Ledwell]

As you know, the ombud wrote directly to the minister to raise concerns about these individuals, who were veterans of the RCMP. A response has come back to the ombud from the minister. There will be communication going out to all those who have been affected to ensure that the practice is stopped.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you.

We've spoken quite a bit today about the backlogs that are being experienced. I hear from veterans within my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith frequently, veterans who have been injured while serving and are having long delays in accessing even just responses to the claims they have submitted.

Can you speak to what the department has done to implement a plan to have a permanent, stable workforce within to start resolving some of this caseload?

[Paul Ledwell]

Thanks very much for the question. It's an essential question. We've seen great progress on the backlog. We won't stop until we get to the service standard.

To be clear, the service standard is 16 weeks from application to payment in 80% of the cases. That's a standard that has been in place for several years, and one that we've sought to maintain. We've not maintained it over these past few years. Our objective is to get to that service standard.

In terms of ensuring that individuals can come forward, we want to make sure they feel confident that, when they come forward, they will get the information they need, that they will get the response that is required and that they will have an opportunity to be in contact with the department to get a sense of where their application is in the process.

We have more than 190,000 veterans who receive supports and services from Veterans Affairs Canada. It's important we treat each of them in terms of their individual circumstances. Our desire is to make sure they have a place to come, that they know they will get a response and that we're providing that response consistently to them.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you.

Less about the workload and more about the stable workforce within, what's being done currently around that?

[Paul Ledwell]

As indicated before, we have been able to succeed in getting a budgetary allocation for temporary resources. We have those temporary resources in place until the end of this coming fiscal year. We're working hard, within government, to ensure that those resources are there and are there permanently. We're finding a way to get to permanence. That's an active discussion and an active attention.

We're also seeking ways to improve the process, to make the process more direct and straightforward for veterans, and to make sure the adjudication process is more straightforward with permanent fixtures there as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

As you know, we are going to have to vote on the estimates at the end, but we still have time to allow three minutes for each parliamentarian group. After that, we'll vote on the estimates.

I would like to invite Mr. Terry Dowdall, for three minutes, please.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today.

I'm sure you're probably familiar that in 2019 this committee, which I wasn't on at that particular time, did a study focused on homelessness. A lot of it, at that time, was attributed to a range of issues. Addictions, mental health or whatever it could be was part of that.

Now, after the pandemic, home prices in my area are like $700,000. I'm curious what came out of that study, because at that time, 3,000 to 5,000 was the number. They're saying now that 6,000 is probably more likely. I'm curious as to what happened to the recommendations the committee put forward at that time for the government to work with VAC to come up with some solutions, because we're basically double the number right now.

[Paul Ledwell]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

It's a very important and timely question, so I really appreciate your raising it. I think the minister has indicated and we uphold that one homeless veteran is one too many. Our desire is to bring effective homelessness amongst veterans down to zero.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Can you spell out exactly what the plan is, please?

[Paul Ledwell]

In the last budget, budget 2022, there was a commitment to augment the budgetary allocation that was there so that greater than $100 million will be in place over the next five years to provide supports to veterans directly, and—

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

How are you finding these veterans? I talked to an organization when I was at a meeting in Toronto, and there are individuals who are out there looking for these individuals who aren't really part your organization. I'm curious as to how you are doing it to actually make a difference, because I don't really see it. I don't think people know where to go and I don't know where they look.

I'm confused, as part of this committee, to see exactly how you go about it. How do you find homeless people?

[Paul Ledwell]

Our area offices across the country are active on this, first of all. They work very closely with local organizations that are also doing this in their own communities to try to identify and then help those veterans who may be homeless or house-insecure. That work has continued.

The funds that will be put in place and the programs that will roll out over the next five years and very shortly will ensure greater supports for those community-based organizations that are helping identify and support homeless vets right across the country.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Okay. Just in talking to individuals, it doesn't seem like that's happening at this moment in time. They're doing it on their own. It's costing a lot of churches and just the vets who are out there who realize how tough it is. I'm just really extremely frustrated. I know that a lot of people in the committee have said everything is great and that's fantastic that some things are going well, but I think this is an area that....

Quite frankly, 2019.... It doesn't seem like there are checks and balances to show that we're actually succeeding.

[Paul Ledwell]

You're very right, and there's more to come. Stay tuned.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you so much. Three minutes can go by really fast.

I invite Mr. Sean Casey to go ahead for three minutes, please.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I want to ask you about the Last Post Fund. Back when the Conservatives were in power, it was extremely frustrating to try to get through to them the importance of the discrepancy between the cost of a funeral, which was paid for by the government, for a serving member as compared to a veteran. Finally, in about 2013 they increased the amount paid to the Last Post Fund, almost doubling it. This was after being almost shamed into doing it.

At any rate, I do see in the estimates that there is a decrease in the Last Post Fund from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Please tell me that the decrease is not because of the allowance but for some other reason.

[Paul Ledwell]

If I may, Mr. Chair, I will defer this question to my colleague Amy Meunier, who is responsible for commemoration.

[Amy Meunier, Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Thank you for the question.

No, it wouldn't be connected to that. It would be in relation to the number of veterans passing, as well as the need for their services. There's a lower uptake. We're working with the Last Post Fund in terms of grave markers and other areas in which we can continue to work with them.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Okay.

I will cede my time to Mr. Samson.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

How much time would I have, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

It's a three-minute round, so you would have a minute and a half.