Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First I'd like to go on record as respectfully disagreeing with Mr. Valeriote's position in terms of our unanimous report “The New Veterans Charter: Moving Forward” and his opinion that the government has done virtually nothing. I will go on record as disagreeing with that completely.
Second, I'd again go back to Mr. Valeriote's comments with respect to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board and the appeal process. I just want him to know that prior to his being part of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, we actually undertook a very comprehensive study on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Veterans Affairs witnesses were there, and we indeed sought the opinions of several veterans.
I do encourage you to read that report, and I will go on record as maybe forewarning you that we may be having a look at where you are with respect to the recommendations from that report of our Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.
That said, I want to step back to Mr. Berthelette for one second.
From the veterans' perspective, you mentioned in your chart 3.4 that there's an up to 16-week period. Within that, you've also stated that there are certain factors that Veterans Affairs can control and there are factors that are outside of their control within that 16-week period. I would like to have an understanding of that. Which is most responsible for that 16-week period—factors within the control of Veterans Affairs or factors outside the control of Veterans Affairs?