I had two calls with the previous deputy minister, who was acting. Veterans Affairs Canada has a new deputy minister now. During these two calls, the then deputy minister told me that she didn't have a solid rationale for submitting a request. I almost fell off my chair. I didn't understand why the backlog of 27,000 cases and the 25,000 cases expected in 2026 did not make for a compelling case to ask for $9.5 million from Treasury Board or the government.
We're not talking about hundreds or tens of millions of dollars. We're talking about $9.5 million to help veterans exercise their right to seek justice through appeal. I was told they were not going to submit a request and that they could handle the matter internally.
As you can see, Ms. Gaudreau, they've failed to do so.