Business of Supply  Second is the cost of funeral and burial services. Some years ago the assets cut-off to provide monetary help through the Last Post Fund was $24,000. That included all the assets of the veterans. That amount was reduced by the Liberals. It is now just over $12,000. In 2014, the cut-off under the Conservatives remains at just over $12,000.

Business of Supply  A while back the government presented a budget and said it was going to spend millions more dollars on the Last Post Fund. However, it did not change the litmus test of who could qualify for that fund. Service members who make $12,000 or less may qualify for proper burials, but those who make over that limit do not qualify.

Last Post Fund  With great respect to the legion, which does a great job, it is not the one that delivers the service. It is the Last Post Fund that delivers the service. One would think the government would have consulted with the Last Post Fund with respect to this additional money, but it did not do that, which shows us that this is a last minute add on which was thrown in the budget to appease the critics.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1  I would add that my province is the only one that has no case managers. They were all taken out in the last budget. However, I want to focus on the last post fund. He trumpets the last post fund. My question for the hon. member is this. There have been improvements made in the budget for the last post fund, but two-thirds of all claims are rejected.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1  Another area we need to focus on, which some of my colleagues have touched on, is the commitment to the last post fund. For people watching at home and members in opposition who are listening, I should mention that our government, in the face of recession and economic downturn, maintained our funding to veterans.

The Budget  Of particular interest to me, given my Motion No. 422 to enhance veterans' burial assistance in the last post fund, is the increase in assistance for qualifying veterans from $3,600 to $7,376. Along with the Royal Canadian Legion, I support this measure. That is why I wrote to the Minister of Finance before the budget was tabled to ask that the last post fund be enhanced.

Last Post Fund  Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the veterans and legions across my riding to thank the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance for increasing the funding envelope of the Last Post Fund. The last post fund is the fund we use to show respect to our veteran soldiers, the ones who fought at Juno in Normandy, the ones who fought in the jungles of Burma, the ones who liberated millions of Europeans in World War II, a generation of soldiers who are coming to the ends of their lives.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1  The member stood and said he is proud of what this budget would do with respect to veterans in the last post fund; however two-thirds of all applications to the last post fund were rejected before this budget and would continue to be. He talked about the investment in the helmets to hardhats program; however the Government of Canada's investment into the helmets to hardhats program is $100,000 to a website.

Veterans  Two-thirds of those impoverished veterans and their families will not qualify for the Last Post Fund because the litmus test is still at $12,000 for the entry level. That is what the Liberals gave us back in 1995; before that it was $24,000. Twenty years later it is still at $12,000.

Veterans  The Royal Canadian Legion stated that the government had effectively limited the ability of the Last Post Fund to carry out its mandate by reducing the estate exemption from $24,000 to $12,000. That happened under a Liberal government, between 1995 and 1997 if I am not mistaken. Since 2006, nothing has been done, with the result that since that year, 67% of requests submitted by veterans' families—which felt that these veterans were living below the poverty level—have been denied.

Veterans Affairs committee  Hillier in the back—he isn't leaving without saying hello. Sir, you did ask, regarding a recommendation on the Last Post Fund, it has been brought to my attention that two years ago this committee recommended that. I just wanted to let you know on the record.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. This is my last question for you. With the Last Post Fund, as you know, the limit of $12,000 was implemented by a previous government in 1995. It went from $24,000 to $12,000. With the new moneys that were passed by Parliament, according to retired Lieutenant-General Lou Cuppens, two-thirds of applicants will still not be eligible for the fund.

Veterans Affairs committee  Is any consideration being given to relaxing the eligibility criteria so that the money in the Last Post Fund is used to actually help families in need? If the veteran's estate is valued above the $12,000 limit, a paltry amount, the veteran's family is denied the funeral benefit. The estate exemption limit hasn't been increased in years; in fact, it was even reduced 20 years ago.

Veterans Affairs committee  You were very passionate, and I respect that. But you were comparing some of these changes to the $12,000 threshold for the Last Post fund. I'd like you to comment on the changes made to the Last Post fund in the budget. Specifically, the $12,000 is not an income, as you described it in your remarks. It's an assessment of assets to see whether someone qualifies as an indigent veteran.

Veterans Affairs committee  I have lots of questions. I have a Last Post Fund question, but I'll ask the housing question first. In a recent press release Veterans Affairs said the following: “One homeless Veteran on the streets is one too many. That’s why the Government of Canada is working to prevent and reduce homelessness among Veterans," said Minister Fantino.