COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 2nd, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We will go back to Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

It seems as though having numbers is a difficult challenge for this government.

On March 10, the deputy minister of Veterans Affairs committed to providing the veterans affairs committee with an updated, written plan on how the department will resolve this backlog. This plan was to include timelines.

When will the veterans affairs committee be provided with this plan?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Chair, I can assure my honourable colleague that of course the veterans affairs committee does vitally important work. I know how important this piece of information is for them.

My department is now working to make sure that the report itself reflects the reality we now face with the situation in the country. I can assure my honourable colleague—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go to Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Chair, I'm sure that the department had a draft plan prior to COVID-19, so I wonder if Mr. MacAulay can provide the committee with that plan right now, rather than wait.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Chair, I can assure my honourable colleague that we are working diligently to make sure that this report is prepared, and prepared properly, for the committee. As I said before, I fully understand the importance of the committee and the great work it does—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go back to Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Can the minister give us a timeline of when this report will be given to the committee?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Chair, it's difficult to give a timeline. I want to make sure that the report itself reflects the reality of the situation to make sure that the committee—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go back to Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

The minister's mandate letter instructed Mr. MacAulay to implement a system of automatic approval for the most common disability applications. When will this system be implemented?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Chair, of course this all ties in to the report that the veterans affairs committee is waiting for and to make sure that we're in place in order to make sure that the automatic approval can work and to make sure that veterans receive the proper—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go back to Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

If automatic approval is implemented, does the minister know how many applications this measure will remove from the backlog?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Chair, it will remove a number from the backlog, because quite simply, if you're skydiving out of a plane, you're going to have knee problems, and if you're a gunner, you're going to have ear problems. These things should be done automatically, and that's exactly what we're working on.

As I said before, other things are complicated. To make sure that the veteran receives the appropriate remuneration—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today.

The committee stands adjourned until tomorrow at noon.