Thank you.
Thank you for joining us today.
I'll begin by saying that the spirit of the new charter for veterans is absolutely admirable. We're going to start with that. There is a sense of independence instead of dependence, a less paternalistic approach, more decision-making, and a larger suite of programs. All of that is given.
No doubt you have been tracking the town halls being given by the ombudsman. Hopefully you've been tracking my town halls and meetings across the country and the stories of veterans, particularly modern veterans, who are saying it is not working for them.
About 95% of your presentation was about what is working, and about 5% was on the gaps--or maybe 1%. I think you mentioned that you're looking at the gaps. I want us to focus on the gaps, because we know what's working. What I'm hearing in the community is what's not working. Perhaps it's simply that people don't understand the availability of programs and there's a communication problem--I'm open to that possibility.
But I am hearing real stories of people who are finding that the lump sum payments are not adequate or do not relate to their real needs. I am hearing that pensioners have lost their relationships with the people of Canada when they get lump sum payments and don't have ongoing monthly cheques. That covenant has been broken.
I have heard that the suite of programs is not accessible to everybody if you don't live near a centre. It is hard if you live in northern Alberta, because the kinds of programs that may be necessary for pain management are not there. The transportation costs are often eaten by the veteran and not paid for under the suite of programs. There are significant problems. I have lots of documentation.
The advisory committee has come up with a couple of dozen severe problems that they are acknowledging. I want you to explain to me where you think the gaps are and where we should be focusing our attention.