Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ladies and gentlemen members of the committee, I am at once very pleased to appear before you this afternoon and somewhat moved because this is the first time that I get to speak before such a distinguished assembly. I would like to give you a brief overvi

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, sir. As I described the administrative structures to you, for the most part, we are working at two levels. The first concern, of course, is the value of the pensions paid to our veterans and the coverage for illness. I believe that this is the major concern. Then we h

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Dryden, that is not a delicate issue in France, the government is not having trouble with that issue, nor does it have to improve outcomes. I would say that there is a certain consensus on veterans' affairs, and there have not been pressing demands from veterans. So I am not

Veterans Affairs committee  A charter of veterans' rights?

Veterans Affairs committee  I could not tell you.

Veterans Affairs committee  An ombudsman?

Veterans Affairs committee  No.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, I am sorry, not to my knowledge.

Veterans Affairs committee  No. Well, it is true that only 300,000 veterans are collecting a disability pension. The remaining veterans are those people who belonged—the rule stipulates 90 days—to a combat unit in wartime or during foreign operations. If they meet these criteria, they are entitled to be rec

Veterans Affairs committee  Exactly, be it one leg, one wound or one illness. For your information, about 350 soldiers in the land forces are wounded each year. Of these 350, about forty will be disabled for life. So a person can receive this pension if he has served in a theatre of operations.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, it's for all the pensioners. Once a person comes back from a theatre...

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  There are others. Once you have served in a combat unit for 90 days in wartime or in foreign operations, you are a veteran. I got my veteran's card for my first tour which was during the first Gulf war, when I spent about 100 days in the theatre of operations. Then you may go on

Veterans Affairs committee  The 665 beds are allocated to veterans who are collecting a pension first. Then, we expand the circle. In other words, there are agreements between retirement homes that report directly to the Office National des Anciens Combattants et Victimes de Guerre. There are eight such ret