Veterans Affairs Committee on April 29th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. André.

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

I would have liked the clerk to be here because I have discussed it with him. Obviously we have to set priorities. I wanted to say that it is always very worthwhile to hear someone who is engaged in a group effort, as Ms. Matteau is at present, and who is directly affected by situation but is not part of an association. I think that is the unique aspect of Ms. Matteau's case.

I would like us to go ahead and meet with her. Should I make a motion? I would like her to be invited.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Well, you can certainly do that, Mr. André. I just had a conversation with our great analyst, who has a photographic memory, and although we don't have the documents here, he remembers the schedule. We have very little margin, if you want to get the study done and tabled before we leave for the summer recess.

We can look at that. If you'll allow one meeting so that I can come back and report to the committee how we might be able to fit her in, that would be great.

I think there probably is consensus in that regard, that we could check the schedule. Right now I can't give you a definitive answer until I see the schedule, but the analyst tells me that there's not much margin at all, so we'd probably have to put her in with another witness if we were going to do it at all.

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Yes.

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Every meeting for several weeks you have called us to order and pointed out that we are examining the new Veterans Charter. So it would be worthwhile to ask questions about the charter. However, as you know, the witnesses, in their testimony, prompt us to talk about what they want. Our questions are asked based on their testimony. If their testimony is not about the Veterans Charter, our questions also will not be about the charter. Ms. Matteau, on the other hand, will definitely talk about it in her testimony, because she is directly affected since her son received the lump sum and not the pension. She will be able to talk to us about the harm caused by the fact that it is a lump sum instead of a pension. She and her son are in that situation right now. It would not be necessary to be calling us to order all the time. We would actually be talking about the new Veterans Charter, there would be a specific case. That is why it's important.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. Kerr.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair, I think you're right. You come back and tell us how much time there is and how it might be divided. We can't bump another witness to add a witness; we'd have to work it in with the ones who are on the list. I think that's all we're asking: how we accommodate this within the number of hours we have left to work with it. I think if you can come back and tell us exactly what the breakdown is, we can deal with it at the next meeting.

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

I'm going to ask you another question. I know that there are committee members travelling to the Netherlands from the 1st to the 10th. Will the committee still be meeting while those members are away?

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Good luck to those going to the Netherlands.

Oh, I'm sorry. I assume any committee members who are going would be represented by another member from their party. We're carrying on business next week as usual, and I assume you'd have replacements sitting in place. We're not slowing down; we only have a couple of weeks left to get this done.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Just for the record, we're not meeting next Tuesday, but we are meeting next Thursday.

Is there any other business?

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

You'll get back to us next week to tell us where we could incorporate Ms. Matteau in the present schedule.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

I'll come back with some recommendations. I'm always at the behest of the committee.

That concludes our business.

Welcome, Mr. Maguire and Ms. MacKinnon. I apologize that we got into some business when you weren't here, but we're glad that you have made it now.

I'd like to introduce our witnesses to the committee. From the Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia, we have Heather MacKinnon, who I understand is a lieutenant-colonel, retired.

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon, Medical Doctor, Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia]

It's lieutenant-commander.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

I apologize, ma'am.

We also have William Maguire. You can tell from the medals on his chest the amount of service he's given to our country.

Do you both have opening remarks?

Okay. We're going to have limited time today, unfortunately, but I'll allow your opening remarks, and then we'll try to figure out what time we have left for our rotation for questions.

Ms. MacKinnon, you can go ahead, and then I'll go to Mr. Maguire.

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon]

Do you have a copy of my address? If not, I have copies.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Did you submit it in advance?

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Are the copies you have in both official languages?

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

We'll have to go with your oral testimony only.

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon]

All right.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Monsieur Vincent.

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Ms. MacKinnon, when did you send your document to the clerk?

[Dr. Heather MacKinnon]

It has been about 10 days.