Veterans Affairs Committee on May 3rd, 2007

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

With the comments in mind, if we finish--as apparently the insider information may be--in the first week of June, we have a maximum of eight meetings left. If we have the extended time, then my math tells me we have a potential of 12 meetings. We need to say how we're going to steward those meetings and be decisive about exactly how many we want for PTSD and how quickly we're going to get into the VIP review. This will also give the clerk a lot more advantage to start lining up the witnesses on the VIP aspect of the health care agreement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. St. Denis.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I suggest that Tuesday we get back to the VIP. I certainly want Gilles to be here when we have our session with the victims. It will nonetheless take a week or more to get such a private session set up. I would suggest we do it in one day, but two sessions of one and a half hours. Let's say it was 3:30 to 6:00 with a small break in between, and rather than one bigger group, two smaller groups. Or it could be 6:30 to 9:30 in the evening--however you break it up. But do that in one day, two sessions of one and a half hours, so we're in a mind frame to do.... Once you're in that mind frame--because you'll learn a lot from the first one--in the second session we might have different questions to ask. So essentially we would only be dedicating one time slot to an enlarged three-hour gathering and then continuing as early as Tuesday with the VIP.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. Perron.

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I understand perfectly what Betty said, namely that we're pressed for time. We are rolling the work of almost two committee meetings into one. I'm well aware of that.

I have a proposition along the same lines as Brent's suggestion. I'm willing to hold a three-or four-hour meeting one evening—say from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 or 10 p.m.—with people from the surrounding regions. As Brent said, we could serve drinks and finger foods. We could break every half hour so that Ms. Hinton and myself can step out for a cigarette.

Seriously though, it's important to hold a proper meeting with our young people. I'm willing to give up a Saturday or a Sunday, but I know that Michel will disagree with me about that. We need to have this meeting and I think the best time to schedule one is in the evening. At the rate we're paid, I think we can afford to put in some overtime, all for the sake of continuing our study. I suggest we find a suitable evening, if possible. It's important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. Stoffer. I'm going to ask, if I may, because you're the last one I have on the list right now, it is now 9:41, and depending on how long this intervention takes and us wrapping up, I will need to make it up to the House and present the bill.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

I agree next Tuesday we should do VIP. I agree with Madam Hinton it's a good thing to review, but I remind the parliamentary secretary that I only go by what I'm advised by the Minister of Veterans Affairs. When he was questioned at a conference in New Brunswick, he said to expand the VIP program for all widows and all veterans would be an additional $290 million. It was a question we received from Larry. Mr. Harper himself had signed. It That's what he said. It would be under the same parameters as the current VIP system. I can only go by what the minister himself said. There is no question that may have been a bit of an oversimplified statement, and there is no question we need to ascertain how to improve the system. So on Tuesday it would be good to do VIP.

Thank you. Let's go see the flag.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

At this stage I think the clerk has received lots of instruction with regard to PTSD victims. I hope Michel will receive some instruction with regard to how to do the study. I sense that what will probably happen then is that we will proceed on Tuesday with the health care review, and then sometime either later next week or whenever the clerk can see fit to put together the type of arrangement we talked about here on one of the evenings, that's probably where we'll go.

Mr. Shipley.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

How many witnesses?

[The Clerk]

What I can do from what I've heard is that I can set up two informal meetings that will have translation or interpretation. That will not be published on the website; it will be something just for us. I can invite whoever's name comes forward. So I invite all the members to submit names from every part of the country, as was suggested. It will be my pleasure to set that up at whatever time the chair wishes and that suits everyone.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

When do you need the names?

[The Clerk]

As soon as you can.

I can organize it any evening next week. I can organize it whenever you want.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

No, no, we're talking about two different things. I'm talking about next Tuesday, for the VIP and health.

Does that include witnesses?

[The Clerk]

Right now there are no witnesses except for the Gerontology Advisory Council.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

We don't need a whole two hours with them--or at least I wouldn't think so.

[The Clerk]

It's up to you.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Can we have any other ones?

[The Clerk]

Yes, we can.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I guess I'm trying to fill it in, to be as productive as we can.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I'm going to go to Mr. Perron and Mr. Stoffer.

Please let's make it very quick. I have to get to Mr. St. Denis' bill.

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

So then, does Alexandre have the committee's permission to contact Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Hospital and request names of prospective witnesses?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

You're asking for our permission to call a hospital?

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I don't see why not.

[Gilles-A. Perron, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Alexandre told me a few minutes ago that we have to tell him if we want him to call the Sainte-Anne hospital.