As members may be aware, the department is presently undertaking a formal evaluation of the new Veterans Charter, including specifically a look at the lump sum and a determination of the extent to which the lump sum is meeting the objectives of the program and the objectives the Government of Canada has for this program.
I certainly appreciate the concern you've expressed, and we've heard it from others. We've heard it expressed in various advisory forums in reports that have been provided to the department. We take that concern very seriously.
We feel it's important to focus on the scope of the problem, to the extent that there is a problem. Certainly there may be some who would use the lump-sum benefit in a way that one might not consider the most appropriate; however, it's also important to point out that for many individuals, the lump-sum payment does result in the outcomes that were intended. It does provide for early opportunities, and many individuals--and we have many solid case examples--use that lump sum to do very good things to help establish themselves and their family in civilian life.
We appreciate the concern. We're very aware of the concern, and our department feels that it's something we must look at and ensure it is addressed to the extent that there may be a problem.