Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, they did. The position was that the criteria for the veteran to take that particular one of the three categories for the PIA are very hard to obtain. In some cases, it might even be as high as 98% incapacitated with respect to that. That particular designation is extremely hard to come by.

Veterans Affairs committee  If I understand the question correctly, sir, we think that the earnings loss benefit and the permanent impairment allowance should be awarded to the vet, to the reservist, to the same extent as they are awarded to the full-time member of the armed forces.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  I understand that the provincial members are entitled to make an application under the benefits that are authorized by a province. By the same token, the earnings loss benefit, with respect to the reservist finding out about it and the lack of information, we have brought it to the attention of Veterans Affairs Canada on a regular basis, and as recently as last week, that they need to communicate to a greater degree to advise veterans of what is available for them.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. Veterans, honoured guests, and honourable members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, I bring you greetings from Canada's pre-eminent peacekeeping veterans organization, the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping. Thank you for inviting our organization to appear before this honourable committee.

Veterans Affairs committee  That, I understand, is accepted by a number of applicants, yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. I was just dealing recently with a 93-year-old fighter pilot from World War II. He received some benefits and he was trying to increase his benefits, and he became frustrated. He lives in Kemptville, Nova Scotia. He called me up. He said, “Ron, forget about it. I don't need this crap.”

Veterans Affairs committee  I disagree with that. The benefits for veterans are legislated, and yes, sometimes things are going to be out of balance, but if the veteran is entitled to that benefit, it is legislated that he will receive the benefit. Even if VAC or the VRAB, or whoever it is, were to run out of money, I would imagine they would go back to Treasury Board and say, “We need x dollars because of such-and-such.”

Veterans Affairs committee  There are thousands upon thousands of veterans who have had a good response and a good deal with the VRAB—thousands. Once they receive their benefit and they're happy with it, you never hear from them. Yes, there are thousands who have been successful.

Veterans Affairs committee  My answer would be very brief, which is that you would fine-tune it. There are going to be some hiccups along the way, as there are with any judicial appointment or any appointment at all. If you're appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board, there are always hiccups. By the same token, if you fine-tune the VRAB....

Veterans Affairs committee  I respectfully disagree with that comment, because when a higher court tells you to do something, with all due respect, you'd better do it, and if not, then that particular judge, if he's within a reasonable distance, will call you in and say, “I gave you an order, and you'd better do it, and if you don't want to do it, get out”.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, when they send it back to VRAB and say, “We want you to take another look at this”, it's not rocket science. You'd better take another look at it.

Veterans Affairs committee  One of the things that really bothered me when I attended hearings at the VRAB is that there are two adjudicators. One of the adjudicators does 98% of the work and the other adjudicator does nothing, so I would suggest that if you appointed a member of the military to the VRAB and you had a single adjudicator—as in a great many adjudications across Canada—you would see the judgments markedly different.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, sir, 22 years.