I think the department was very positive, from my standpoint, and of course I was very close to the file. Hopefully, Mr. Chair, your members would have seen this in Charlottetown. The employees of the department are very committed to veterans. I've been a public servant for a long time, working in many cities and a number of departments. Certainly I see that they're very committed. I think anybody who can do something to help veterans would be very positively received. I don't necessarily see it as adversarial. I see it as somebody who is there to help. I would put the veterans staff sort of in the same category as my own staff. As I go out and have town halls with my staff on and off Canadian Forces bases, I say that if you didn't come to work today to do something for a veteran then you're probably not working for the right organization.
On June 1st, 2009. See this statement in context.