Evidence of meeting #32 for Veterans Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was years.
A recording is available from Parliament.
November 5th, 2009 / 10:45 a.m.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
It would be the people who deal with superannuation and the departmental staff who deal with the pension issue.
Conservative
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
It would be Veterans Affairs if that's required. I'll talk with the clerk, if necessary, to define it exactly. It should be departmental staff. They've raised issues, and I think we have to be fair to them and make sure that we're all comfortable with what they've told us by asking more questions of our Veterans Affairs staff.
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
No, Mr. Chair. I want to be very clear that this is not a Veterans Affairs staff issue.
Mrs. Sgro, you know the difference. If you want to bring the appropriate staff in, which could be Defence, Finance, and so on, that's fine. But once again, you put it over to Veterans Affairs. This is not a Veterans Affairs issue.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Then it's DND staff. I said that it should be the appropriate staff to deal with these issues. So it's DND staff, Finance staff, or Treasury Board. The appropriate people would come to answer some questions. I'm not defining who they have to be.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Is there any other debate? Right now we have agreement that the next meeting will be business. I know that. But do we have a consensus on the witnesses coming to the next meeting?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
That's fair enough. We'll have witnesses from the department at the next meeting. Also at the next meeting the bill will be completely dealt with and sent back to the House. Whatever way we do it, we're going to dispose of it.
Go ahead, Mr. McColeman.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brant, ON
I don't know whether we should be going in camera, Mr. Chair. Please correct me, if necessary.
I'd like to ask Mrs. Sgro what kind of information you are looking for from the staff ? As he said, it's not a Veterans Affairs staff issue. It's people outside the bailiwick of this committee we're going to bring in to discuss this issue further. Many of us have reservations about this committee dealing with this issue, because it's not a Veterans Affairs issue, on the business side of it. My senses tell me that you want more of a business explanation. Am I reading you right on that? I would like that too, by the way, in some ways. It gets a little bit muddled, because we're going to have people from Defence or people from maybe Finance or wherever in the government. I just want to know the direction we're heading.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Certainly it could be people from DND and Finance. I want to know what's happening today, November 5, 2009. I've heard some things. I want the questions about what's happening today to go forward. It has to be DND and Finance.
What happens to that block of individuals we keep hearing about who feel shortchanged? I would ask DND and Finance to come before the committee. I recognize the difficulty, because we're veterans and we deal with it “post”. But I'd like to hear from those who deal with it “prior to”, so that when we move it into the House, we know things have changed in a substantial way for the future.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brant, ON
Mr. Chair, could I ask you or maybe the parliamentary secretary for clarification?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Just a moment, Mr. Kerr is on the speakers list, and he might address that.
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
I think we're comfortable, Mr. Chair, with the intent, now that it's been clarified. You were on a slightly different road when you started this. I think it's appropriate, and I would leave it to the chair and the clerk to bring back the appropriate staff to answer the questions raised here today. If that's agreed, then certainly our side would agree with that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
As I understand it, it's a question on the logistics of the pension as well as on what they're informed of. Is that correct?
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
The disability, the difference.... I'm still struggling with that.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Chair, I think this is the ideal opportunity. We're dealing with it. Let's all make sure that we have a good understanding of it. If there are things that can be done, we'll do them. If we can't, we can't, but let's at least make sure that we all fully understand.
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
Are we agreeing that the chair and the clerk will choose the witnesses?
Liberal
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
Whatever the general question is, I think it's fair. We had a lady here the other day who was talking about EI.
Conservative
