Veterans Affairs committee  What I can tell you is we're in a unique position at the bureau because of the legislation that created us. If you look at the last page of the deck, it makes clear who it is we are responsible to. Unlike most civil servants who have as their masters, if you will, their supervisor and their deputy minister and their minister, the bureau is in a unique situation.

Veterans Affairs committee  The first thing I'd say is that, as you probably know, we don't represent clients at the Federal Court, so we're not involved in that process. The clients go—

Veterans Affairs committee  The client goes either by himself or herself. The client goes pro bono. There is a lot of pro bono work being done by a number of law firms across the country, or they hire their own lawyer. That's a process we're not involved in. The only process we get involved in at Federal Court, as the bureau, is one that represents not a single client by himself or herself, but a larger issue, an issue that affects many clients at the same time.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's right.

Veterans Affairs committee  Not that we're aware of, no. Most of our western allies do not have that.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'll give it a shot and Charles can add the detail if he would like. In 2009, a major decision on hearing loss was made, affecting quite a large number of cases that had to be revisited. In cooperation with VRAB, we put in a process that allowed us to streamline a lot of these cases that were very similar.

Veterans Affairs committee  —or more. That's why in 2009–10 the number is higher. If those 800 or 1,000 cases were taken out, it would be more in line with the following years.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think Charles might see that more day to day.

Veterans Affairs committee  On benefit of the doubt, yes, we agree, sometimes we're frustrated, but I can say that sometimes we're also pleasantly surprised. It depends on whether you win the case or you lose the case. Sometimes you win them; sometimes you lose them. Sometimes we're surprised it wasn't applied the way we thought it should be.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, as far as we know, we are. That's not to say there might not be something out there that we're not aware of, but as far as we are aware, yes. In fact, a number of years ago, we had colleagues from the Department of Veterans' Affairs in Australia visit us at the bureau to see what it is we do.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for inviting us today. As you said, my name is Anthony Saez. I am the executive director and chief pensions advocate from the Bureau of Pensions Advocates. With me is Charles Keliher. He is our appeals and legal issues director. In fact, he's our chief lawyer.