Veterans Affairs Committee on March 11th, 2009

[Ann Patterson, Acting Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs]

Good afternoon. How are you?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Very good. We have good video and it sounds like we have good audio now as well.

[Ann Patterson]

Excellent.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Thank you very much on behalf of the committee for taking the time today. I apologize that we were late engaging the call.

Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, Ann Patterson is the Acting Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration.

Do you have an initial opening presentation for us, Ms. Patterson?

[Ann Patterson]

What I wanted to do was introduce myself to all of you and find out a little bit about how much of an overview you need. Some folks around here this morning, as we were talking about it in the undersecretary's morning meeting, indicated.... Dr. Cross mentioned that he may have met some of you previously, so I don't want to go into a real basic overview if many of you already have a sense of our organization and what we look like.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Most of the members of this committee are brand-new members.

How long would it take for you to do an overview?

[Ann Patterson]

Let me just do this. I think we have about 45 minutes. I have a PowerPoint presentation that does go a little bit into how we're organized, what we look like, the budget, and some of our most important and key initiatives right now. I think that should do it. Then if there are some topics as we go through this--and I move along fairly quickly--that you want us to focus on, maybe we can arrange for another time where we could go through some of the key topics in a little bit more detail.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Ms. Patterson, is there any chance that you may be able to keep it to 20 minutes, and then every member could at least have one question for you?

[Ann Patterson]

Well, I will tell you that we planned an hour. If you want me to do just an overview, yes, we can skip some slides and just move right along.

Let's do this. You stop me at any time. If there's something you want me to focus on, I can. Otherwise, I'll just go through the slides very quickly.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

That would be fine. If after the questions there is desire from the committee to have more detail, then we'll ask you at the end to arrange another meeting. Go ahead with your presentation, and then we'll have questions after.

[Ann Patterson]

That's not a problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Ann Patterson, do we have good audio now?

[Ann Patterson]

I can hear you. Let's get the PowerPoint up very quickly.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Unfortunately, it's the video connection.

While we're waiting, ladies and gentlemen, while the phone isn't ringing, I might be able to get this announcement through, with translation.

March 26 is a Thursday. It's the only time we're able to get the British Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. That's March 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., because of the time change.

I just wanted to advise you of that. Of course, it's not a mandatory meeting in our schedule or anything, but it would be good if most of the members could make that. It was the only time we could get. Try to put that in your schedules and see if you can make it. That is March 26.

We'll have a meeting on March 25...no, excuse me, I'm wrong. On March 23 we'll be Washington. March 26 will be the British VA.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Chair, while we're waiting, can I thank Michel for the graph you put together here? This is very helpful, being able to compare the two. Thank you very much for the fast work you did pulling them together.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

It is from 10 a.m. until noon.

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

You're probably aware that, prior to Christmas, Britain announced some changes to their Compensation Act. If we can get that, that would be very helpful.

[Michel Rossignol, Committee Researcher]

Yes, there's some information.

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

They give $1 million now in the event of it. They don't give a lump-sum payment on the death.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

They've never given one yet.

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

Not yet.

In the States they don't give a lump-sum payment. They give a certain amount every month.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Yes.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

The 26th might work, Mr. Chair, but do we not have a meeting scheduled for March 25 as well?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

No.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

So then, on Monday and on Thursday.