Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, as Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion, it's a pleasure to appear today at your committee to discuss issues related to the new veterans charter.
Firstly, we'd like to commend you for your excellent report “Resetting the Bar”, released in May 2008, and “Shared Experiences: Comparison of Veterans Services Offered by Members of the Commonwealth and the G8”, released in June 2009.
Your support of veterans and their families is noteworthy. It's obvious that you care, and there should be no doubt that the Legion also cares for veterans and families. We care in a number of ways, including through the provision of representation and advocacy services through our service bureau at no cost to applicants whether or not they are Legion members. We care through our benevolent assistance, our housing initiatives, our youth programs, and through various “Support our Troops” programs.
At this point I would like to turn to Pierre Allard, the Dominion Command service bureau director. Thank you.