Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for that question. It's quite timely, in fact, because we are currently working with the RCMP. They're conducting a needs assessment on behalf of their members in these areas, and any change in these areas will require an amendment to their legislation because of the way they're set up under the law.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. The way I'd like to approach that is there have been many great innovations in the province of Quebec. We probably don't know as much about all of the elements of those as we should. But within the context of this health care review, we will be looking at ideas such as those to see where they could fit.

Veterans Affairs committee  If I understand the thrust of your question, it would be on how we assess the need for change in the program and proceed with that. It's a timely question. This morning we in fact had a meeting with the minister on this very subject. Upon his arrival in the department, he asked us to proceed with a comprehensive health care review, looking to improve our services, where we can, particularly to senior veterans and other clients.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's correct.

Veterans Affairs committee  For the client group of caregivers and spouses, it would be about $330 million, if the program were only extended for the housekeeping and groundskeeping elements of it. The $500 million figure was to extend it to those veterans who currently do not have access to the program, such as the overseas services veterans and others.

Veterans Affairs committee  It's $270 million, as of last year, in terms of what was being spent on it.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. I think that's a fair comment, Mr. Cuzner.

Veterans Affairs committee  The timeline we have in mind is getting back to the minister in the late fall with the analysis that he's asked us to conduct. After that it would be in the hands of the normal processes of government. Probably it would be sometime in the spring when we would be in a position to consider what the outcome of it might be.

Veterans Affairs committee  It's a complex subject and will require a lot of analysis in terms of issues such as the mix of services that get the best payoff for VIP, the cross-impact of those on long-term care costs, and that sort of thing. It's a trade-off expenditure, and it's actually quite a valuable one.

Veterans Affairs committee  I mean in the sense that the money you invest in VIP really does avoid costs in long-term care, but you have to make the case; you have to be able to show that the numbers are real and credible. There haven't been that many definitive studies, which is why this study in Ontario is really going to help us in that regard.

Veterans Affairs committee  When it comes to actually applying it, yes, it would be.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good afternoon, everyone. Bon après-midi. I would like to thank the members of this committee for the invitation to be here today to discuss the veterans independence program. I welcome this opportunity to provide you with an overview of this outstanding program and to share a brief history of how it evolved and a few lessons my department has learned as a result of providing for the health and home care needs of Canada's senior veterans.

Veterans Affairs committee  If we turn to the opening slide on the veterans independence program, I'll cover basically today.... I'll wait until the slides are distributed. The second slide in your possession indicates the topics covered today. I won't read it to you; I'll simply go into the topics themselves.