I simply drew a parallel with the case of Mr. Sean Bruyea who alleges that attempts were made to discredit him because of his criticism of the new Veterans Charter, especially with regard to the issue of the lump sum payment and compensation. I had a question. You also voiced criticism regarding the lump sum payment during your mandate. You said: "[...] with regard to the lump sum payment, it is an extremely contentious issue. I said that I believed that it was wrong to give someone a lump sum payment."
Thus, you have stated your opposition to this measure. I believe that it is fair to make this criticism because an ombudsman must necessarily advance the interests of the Department of Veterans Affairs and make sure that the services to the veterans are improved. He must constantly voice criticism in order to help the progress of various files. In this sense, you have done an excellent job. Thus, you voiced criticism.
You also mentioned in your report that there were endless delays in the treatment of applications for compensation because of complicated red tape. Consequently, this is often harmful to the quality of services delivered to veterans. This is not necessarily because we do not have enough personnel, but sometimes there is a lack of will to respond to the needs.
You criticized certain measures taken by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Do you believe that this has anything to do with the fact that your file was consulted many times in an attempt to discredit you?