Veterans Affairs committee  As I mentioned earlier, I think there needs to be more of a team blitz to deal with claims that are assigned to case managers. There could be service officers or liaison officers who would be responsible for monitoring and mentoring veterans.

Veterans Affairs committee  We're seeing an improvement in Quebec in terms of how the department processes claims, but that may not be the case everywhere in Canada. The deadline is shorter for any claim related to psychological health, because these people are often in distress. In Montreal, a person has been appointed to handle only those types of claims, such as anxiety or post‑traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans Affairs committee  There is indeed a difference between the treatment of female veterans and male veterans. There has been an improvement over the past few months with respect to the sexual misconduct class action lawsuit. The Department of Veterans Affairs has set up a special group for women who have been victims of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.

Veterans Affairs committee  As I mentioned in my opening remarks, many veterans drop out of the process and sometimes end up on the street. Some go through a divorce and lose custody of their children. Others do the irreparable: they take their own lives. I personally experienced this situation last winter when I was asked to support a veteran from the Montreal area.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. Over the past few years, I have spoken with many case managers from across the province, in Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu, in Montreal, in Quebec City, in Gatineau, and they aren't the problem. The problem is the workload that the department imposes on them.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's right. My spouse and I are veterans, so we also file claims. We've waited sometimes for two or three years. I even still have a claim that [Technical difficulty—Editor]. At one point, I got angry and asked if I should submit my claim in English to be served faster, like anglophones.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, Mr. Desilets. On a few occasions in recent years, several veterans have been told by departmental employees to submit their applications in English so that they can be processed more quickly. In Charlottetown, some even say that English-language applications are given priority over French-language ones because there are more anglophone employees at the department.

Veterans Affairs committee  In the last 12 years, I have helped more than 1,000 veterans with their applications. Most of these veterans were from Quebec and were targeted by the LGBT purge. I worked with Ms. Douglas a few years ago. I think I have helped more than 1,200 veterans from all over Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.

Veterans Affairs committee  To make things easier inside the department, it would first have to meet its commitments. I've looked at the various committees over the last few months and years, and there are always promises being made about hiring staff. A few weeks ago, there was talk of 350 employees in the department.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, of course. Last spring, I helped a veteran who lived close to the Outaouais-Ontario border. I asked him if he had any objections to us making his claim in English so I could test the system. He replied that he had no problem with it. He received a positive response in less than seven weeks.

Veterans Affairs committee  Good evening, Mr. Chair. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen members of the House. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Brigitte Laverdure, a peer support worker for Canadian Forces veterans who are part of the LGBTQ community. The purpose of my testimony is to denounce the injustice experienced by francophone veterans in Quebec during the processing of their file submitted to Veterans Affairs Canada.