Veterans Affairs Committee on May 10th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

We'll have Mr. St. Denis.

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

Maybe Michel would just make note of that thought for a possible future recommendation, if we agree.

You talk about the people taking a bus, maybe, and that's why they're discouraged to go and get treatment. When it comes to mental disorders, a lot of the work is talking. You know, you're talking to your counsellor or you're talking to your doctor.

I know that they now use telephone consultation. Maybe you have to visit the doctor one out of three times, but for the in-between two sessions you can spend the time on the phone. Did that come up at all? I'm just wondering, when you look at the distances and the time, whether more telephone intervention is something we should look at, especially for our rural veterans, and so on. I just wanted to raise that, because lots of it is talking, you know.

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

I do not know if such treatment is effective. Therapy involves an element of human contact. The patient sits facing someone they trust, with whom they can talk. Their gestures and body language can be observed, the patient can be touched, and so on. Over the telephone, however, there is a physical barrier. I do not know too much about it, I am just saying.

out of my brain. I don't know if I'm telling you the truth or not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

It could be an option.

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

And I don't disagree that eyeball-to-eyeball contact and how we.... But if the telephone gives you even half a solution for somebody, as opposed to no solution, maybe there is some place for it. I know it's done in civil society that you go for your session and the one or two sessions in between, depending on the circumstances, are by phone.

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

Or it could be to follow up.

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

You have a combination.

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

I don't know. You might be right.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

You can do therapy over the phone all the time.

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

Well, people seem to call those other lines, apparently, the 999 lines, you know.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Fair enough.

Mr. Shipley, did you have something?

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

I think it likely was dealt with. Thank you.

The only thing I was going to mention, and not to put Mr. Perron to work, but I found interesting his oratory on it, was that you talked about the complexity of some of the speakers. But actually, Gilles, an executive summary from you of what you felt and heard, in layman's terms, I think would be beneficial to this committee, if that hasn't already been addressed. I don't want to put you to a lot of work.

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

I know that Greg was there.

I told Greg Thompson that I very much appreciated that, in his opening remarks, he recognized the presence of Bloc MP Gilles A. Perron in the room. He did not have to do that. He asked me to stand up, so that people would recognize me as an elected representative. I must say, I really appreciated this gesture, which showed class and decorum. Perhaps it sounds like “brown-nosing”, but I would like to tell everyone about it, because I found it very touching. Furthermore, Greg asked his photographer—a lovely young woman—to take some photos of the two of us. So, some photos were taken of us together. I do not know what he will do with them. He was extremely nice to me. Please tell him that I really appreciated it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

They're in his wallet, I think.

I'd like to thank everybody.

Monsieur Perron, just talking to the clerk, one potential is.... You've obviously done a great deal of research on this. Maybe we could even have you as a witness at some point with regard to this.

Yes, Mr. St. Denis.

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

Mr. Chair, on that very point, I agree with Bev that we not create lots of work for Gilles. But it might be simply that sometime, at the end of a meeting, we take half an hour and put Gilles there. If you had your thoughts prepared, that could be the summary, as opposed to making a bunch of work for you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Monsieur Perron, I just want you to think about this. We have Senator Dallaire appearing for an hour and a half. The last half-hour is open. I was thinking I could distribute the letter that we sent off to the minister, but that won't take long at all. That could be left until the end of the meeting or done very quickly. You're certainly welcome to have the half-hour if you wish.

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

I'll have my thoughts organized to make a good summary verbally.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

With that, the meeting is adjourned.