Veterans Affairs committee  I think there's an historic value to them and then there's a personal value to them, and I think that has to be weighed very carefully. Let me give you the example of the gentleman I was speaking to before, Colonel Ethell. He's Canada's most decorated peacekeeping veteran. What

Veterans Affairs committee  No, it would not stop them from being sold.

Veterans Affairs committee  Without question, I will. As I said, I've been away from home now for seven or eight days, and as soon as I get back over the weekend, as you know, with e-mail, within a matter of minutes, information like this will be right across the country, and there will be reaction to it.

Veterans Affairs committee  I echo that. I think it's great to get the information out and it's great with respect to our schools and history. I accept that without question and I echo his comments.

Veterans Affairs committee  Over the weekend, as I have previously mentioned, I was in company with approximately 1,200 to 1,500 other veterans. When I received notification with respect to attending here, I discussed it with the president of ANAVETS, the president of the Royal Canadian Air Force Associatio

Veterans Affairs committee  May I make a comment on styling the act by looking at other countries? We have styled our new Veterans Charter on the British, the Australians, and to some extent the Americans, and we now know that the new Veterans Charter has failed the severely injured veteran. It has failed

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, I do believe there is a need for it, to the extent that it should require more than one or two things to protect medals of cultural significance. There are always things that can be protected that are going to slip under the radar, or action could be taken to prevent it.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, sir. Honourable members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping, CAVUNP, Canada's pre-eminent peacekeeping veterans associatio

Veterans Affairs committee  In this report it indicates that there are several veterans organizations. With PTSD, we learned that when we have PTSD, the best thing for us to do is to ask for help. So I would suggest that perhaps this committee, perhaps Veterans Affairs, somebody, ask the veterans organizati

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm aware of the problem that took place in Newfoundland and Labrador just recently. We appreciate the difficulties for peacekeepers, bearing in mind they started in Korea just after the cessation of hostilities. It's one of the things we're working on. It's one of the things the

Veterans Affairs committee  There's a recommendation in the report that the awards should be brought up to civil standards from civil courts. Apparently they're below civil standards to some degree right now.

Veterans Affairs committee  The short answer to your question is yes, we appreciate that the RCMP are involved with Veterans Affairs Canada. We have members from the RCMP on the various committees we have, including the client advisory committee in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So the answer is yes, we do--

Veterans Affairs committee  I was a member of the Ontario Provincial Police for quite a few years. At that particular time, way back then, it was not part and parcel of the program. I cannot speak on behalf of the OPP today, nor can I speak on behalf of the Quebec provincial police.

Veterans Affairs committee  Some time back, they changed that to be designated an award as opposed to anything else. I think that could be the interpretation. We have no idea why it was changed to an award. Bearing in mind the maximum $260,000, we don't know why it was changed from pension to an award, but

Veterans Affairs committee  The forces used to pay 85% and the person paid 15%. That was changed recently, and the forces pay 100%, I believe, to the best of my knowledge at this time.