Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank all our guests, our witnesses, for being with us today. I think we will trip over ourselves thanking you, so I'm not going to waste time on that.
I actually may get in trouble with my political bosses for saying this, but I also do want to extend some good consideration to the Conservative government for having opened the door on this compensation. I think that needs to be recognized as good work. I think that's part of the story. What you're now talking about is the rest of the story.
As I've come to know this story--and I'm still new at this and still gathering more information on it--there are several issues around agent orange. This is only one very specific issue that has to do, obviously, with those who have had husbands die before 2006, when this date was arbitrarily set.
I might challenge my Conservative members to find another date, another time where any program has actually been arbitrarily set at the date of a government being sworn in. I actually have never heard of that, ever. It seems to be quite unusual and rather political and, I think, not very helpful.
The thing I would like to focus on and get more information on is your relationship with Veterans Affairs Canada and maybe DND and the kinds of bureaucratic problems that you've had. You've suggested some of them and your experience of trying to get through the system. You've raised some issues I have not heard of before, especially through Ms. Matheson's freedom of information request. Can you explain a little more about your problems in dealing with the actual department officials, which we may be able to help with?