Veterans Affairs committee  The Canadian Forces has an accidental dismemberment plan, not Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs has the lump sum award, which this year is $276,000. It covers paraplegia, quadriplegia, blindness, and loss of limb. They are two different and separate programs.

Veterans Affairs committee  It was in January of 2009.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  That is true. As a caveat, as an advisory group, we are not expected to receive a response. We only provide advice. If the department chooses to respond, they can do so. They responded verbally. They have briefed us. They briefed us on what they learned from the report and what they were doing in a macro sense, but it was not a specific written response.

Veterans Affairs committee  No.

Veterans Affairs committee  We started as an ad hoc advisory group. We took it to mean we would give them the information. We're ad hoc. They do not therefore have to respond back. We're only providing information. It would take them a lot of time to provide a response on every item. I'm not surprised.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm out of my league on that one.

Veterans Affairs committee  Funding for long-term care beds and the number of beds are an issue that we have not yet dealt with for the special needs veterans, because most special needs veterans under the new Veterans Charter are 20 years, 30 years, or 40 years of age.

Veterans Affairs committee  What I did not put in my brief--I took them out because of time--were some numbers. What has gone out of the new Veterans Charter is a spousal allowance. It wasn't a large allowance, but it recognized the spouse and the support the spouse provided to their married partner. As a disabled veteran, I can't take a shower unless my wife is around, in case I fall.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, we didn't quite get that right. Both the Pension Act and the new Veterans Charter have a program called the veterans independence program for things like snow removal and housekeeping services. That has not changed. But there was an attendant's allowance. If my wife wanted to take me out, we could take a taxi.

Veterans Affairs committee  Once again, there are specific programs, benefits, and services within Veterans Affairs. Yes, there is an allowance for car adaptation. It changed in November and is now more restrictive. I'm going through this argument right now with Veterans Affairs, so from a personal perspective, I have some challenges with being reimbursed for some of the things done to my vehicle.

Veterans Affairs committee  I don't believe Veterans Affairs had any intention of releasing them until it became evident to groups like this that these reports were around. Then they started asking the department for them.

Veterans Affairs committee  The focus groups were done before the charter was very much public, before the charter came into legislation. They were done in 2005 by Corporate Research Associates. I haven't looked at their report in a long time. It was touchy-feely, with a lot of comparisons to the Pension Act.

Veterans Affairs committee  I know that Veterans Affairs is working very hard on formulating some changes to bring to government.

Veterans Affairs committee  None have that I'm aware of.