Veterans Affairs Committee on Sept. 20th, 2006

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

If I could just follow on Bev Shipley's question, I'm not quite clear why we're going to see them, and to what end. Do we have a study on hospitals? We have some stuff identified here, but hospitals or veterans hospitals are not there. Will we be doing that? I can see the nodding on the other side. Travelling for the sake of travelling.... I'd love to go, and it sounds very interesting, but what are we going to do with the information, and what information are we looking for at the hospital?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I think we were just following up on suggestions from previous meetings. We've got the information, and we were preparing it all so we could be ready to roll. Some people are interested in having more info, some people want a truncated list, and some people want an expanded list.

Mr. Stoffer.

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

There are two things. St. Anne's, as you know, is the only federally run veterans hospital. The rest are done in cooperation with the provinces. I know there's a big difference in the level of service in some of them. When we were at Ste. Anne's the last time they said the waiting period was less than a week, whereas for Camp Hill in Halifax, the waiting period was 90 days minimum. So there is a difference in service. We've heard from Veterans Affairs before that although World War II veterans and the Korean veterans are dying off, they're expecting a large influx of what are called modern-day veterans, cold war veterans, and there will be many more of them.

I guess the question is, is the government proceeding with long-term plans to allocate these facilities properly so that when these individuals require hospital care, there will be facilities available for them? Most of this would have to be in cooperation with the provinces. I don't think we've ever talked about that. For these types of planning needs, you need years in advance to determine where they are and if there are facilities to meet their possible needs down the road without having to wait for those services. That would be an interesting point to look at, to advise the government on what they may or may not be able to do for the near future.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

If I may, because we've had kind of a wide-ranging discussion here, my sense so far is that I think it is fairly important or significant, because it is the largest facility in the country, to visit St. Anne's. I sense because of the ease of the mission that the one here in Ottawa is kind of a no-brainer. Then maybe once we've done those two...we have two others on the table here, Quebec City and Camp Hill.

Mr. Sweet.

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

I liked Mr. Valley's idea that if we visit one or two local places, it's time efficient, it gives us an idea about the kind of information we want to gather, and the experience will lend itself to the dynamics of what kinds of goals we want to have on this or whether those two visits close by are sufficient enough to answer most of the questions the members here would have. With regard to having some familiarity when we have witnesses here, that would speak to the kind of service they were given.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I take it from your comments, Mr. Sweet, that the idea of visiting Ottawa and Montreal makes sense to you.

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

They're close by and it's efficient.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I'm just trying to nail Jell-O to the wall here, and I mean that not in a specific sense but in a collective sense.

Mr. Valley.

[Roger Valley, Liberal, Kenora, ON]

Could I make a motion then that we visit St. Anne's at a time when it's convenient for the committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

We already have a motion for that. This is the reason why we're going through this. For any who are asking questions why, that's why. So I appreciate that. It was agreed unanimously.

What I'm wondering then, since Mr. Valley is kind of speaking to this, and along the lines of what we're trying to accomplish here...maybe we could have a motion from you to visit the Ottawa facility. I'm suggesting this. We already have one for St. Anne's. Is somebody willing to move a motion with regard to the Ottawa facility?

Mr. Shipley so moves. Seconded by Mr. St. Denis.

Is there any debate on that motion for the Ottawa facility visitation?

Mr. Perron.

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

I agree with everyone, but I want to be very sure what is involved.

We are going to visit the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue hospital and the one in Ottawa. Then we will determine whether it is necessary to visit other hospitals and whether we have some idea about the recommendations we want to make. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

That is what I take from it, Monsieur Perron, yes.

Is there any other debate on that motion for visiting the Ottawa facility?

All those in favour of visiting the Ottawa facility?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

We'll revisit that issue again after visiting St. Anne's and the Ottawa facility.

Is there anything else people would like to raise here at the committee today?

Mr. Perron.

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

I think we are facing a scheduling problem. The committee has suspended its study of the ombudsman issue. Some veterans have told us that they more or less agree. I think the study is drawing to a close and that we need only get the opinion of someone like André Marin, who is now the ombudsman of Ontario, and who was formerly the ombudsman of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. He could tell us whether or not we need an ombudsman for veterans. We could also ask an ombudsman in another province to explain what the role of a veterans' ombudsman would be and whether we need one. I think we do, but we have to make a decision about that. We have heard the views of those who would benefit from an ombudsman. We must now hear from specialists who have some experience as ombudsmen.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Monsieur Perron, just to speak to that, and then we've got a list here with Mr. Valley, and Mr. Stoffer indicated he's got an extra point there. We didn't present this because it hasn't been translated, but we do have a list here of some people who would like to make appearances before us, relating to this. For example, the War Amps, UN peacekeepers, the Royal Canadian Legion want to make presentations on that subject, so we will get to that, but unfortunately we couldn't provide the list en français today, so next committee meeting we'll have that.

Mrs. Hinton, we're going to take you after Mr. Valley and Mr. Stoffer.

[Roger Valley, Liberal, Kenora, ON]

If my memory serves, doesn't St. Anne's have its own ombudsman? Isn't that what we heard before? Is it possible to meet with them while we're on site?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

That sounds perfectly acceptable to me.

[Roger Valley, Liberal, Kenora, ON]

We should meet some people on their territory if we can, and that might start the discussion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

That sounds like a wise idea.

Mr. Stoffer.

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

This is on another related matter. You said “other business”?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Oh, okay, therefore, I'm going to revert to Mrs. Hinton if this is related to the ombudsman discussion.

[Betty Hinton, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

It is related to the ombudsman discussion. I just wanted to clarify that there will be an ombudsman. The government has made a commitment to do that. The question we have to ask as a committee is, do we want to have input into it? I thought it was very important that all parties did have input into it. So it's never been a question of whether or not there will be an ombudsman--there will be. The criteria is going to be developed by this committee, if the committee wants to have that input, and we did choose to do that at the beginning of the session.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. Stoffer, over to you again.

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

On a separate issue, you should know the Royal Canadian Legion elected a new president at their national convention in Calgary. I thought it would be a nice gesture for our committee, for you, sir, to not only write a letter to Mary Ann Burdett, the immediate past president, to thank her for her work and her advice to us, but also to welcome the new president, congratulate him on his position, and possibly invite him whenever it's convenient for the committee to meet him personally and to ask how we can move forward together. They are a large organization.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I'd be honoured to do so, if you wish to pass a motion to that effect.