Veterans Affairs Committee on March 21st, 2011

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

She is now with our department. So you can see that we are really making changes that are beneficial for our department and our veterans. With these changes, our culture will also adapt to this reality.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Minister, we had a chance to talk about this. It is important that all Canadians, including Quebeckers, recognize veterans' contribution to the country we have built. You have set up a program for building memorials and cenotaphs.

You were in Lévis on February 23 and in Sherbrooke the next day. Could you tell me a bit about this program? Is it still possible for groups to access this program?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Until this year, we had a program for restoring cenotaphs. For a few months now, there has been a program for building new cenotaphs in honour of our veterans from various wars and our modern-day veterans, of course. This program gets $5 million, or $1 million per year over five years. That allows us to allocate up to $50,000—the maximum we can grant—for building new monuments in honour of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives to protect our country and our values.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Thank you.

There is a also a program for elderly soldiers. So some WW2 veterans come to my office from time to time. It is a program like the VIP. Sometimes, it is more complicated for these people to fill out a form. They have a long medical history that spans decades. Could you tell me something about this program, please?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

First, if I may, I would like to say one thing about our program for the new cenotaphs.

I have just signed off on some of these applications over the past few weeks. One of our members, Dean Del Mastro, has recently announced the establishment of a wall of honour in Peterborough. The wall includes the names of 11,000 soldiers, sailors, air force personnel and merchant mariners from the area, all who came forward to serve in the two world wars and the Korean War. That's a concrete example. We gave them $50,000 and their MP was able to make the announcement.

Sir, in terms of the veterans independence program, I'll be honest with you. We have received many requests to extend it. We have also received some criticism.

I am currently looking into what we should do with the program, since people appreciate it. For example, this program allows them to get funding for snow removal, home maintenance, cleaning or mowing the lawn.

The amounts per capita are not huge, but they are really appreciated. This money allows people to stay in their own homes longer rather than moving to a seniors residence.

We extended the program in 2008. We have invested $282 million over three years in the VIP. As a result, more survivors and more widows were able to receive the help they needed to continue living independently at home.

Just recently, we have also told them that we are offering direct deposit for those...

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that it's five minutes for questions and answers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

No; in the first round we have seven, seven, five, and seven.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

I extend my apologies to the minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Now we're on five minutes. I am watching the time. We went over with Mr. Stoffer, and now we've used up another minute or two here.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Go ahead.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to remind the committee that it has been our tradition not to allow speakers to go over with their questions, but to allow witnesses to go over with their answers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you, but sometimes people put 10 questions out, and....

[A voice]

Sometimes the ministers are here for two hours, rather than just one.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Anyway, we have one hour. Now we've lost another minute or two.

I think, Mr. Blackburn, you were pretty well finished with your answer on the VIP.

We'll go to Ms. Duncan and Mr. Lamoureux for five minutes.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. I want to make sure that the point of order raised by Mr. Lamoureux was not taken under my watch. He interrupted the minister while he was providing his response to my question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

There were about five seconds left.

Go ahead, Ms. Duncan.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Further to my earlier comments, I have been meeting with Veterans Affairs psychologists and psychiatrists across the country. I'd like you to hear some of the comments from our veterans: “We're all suffering. We need help. It's not only the guys we lose overseas; it's also the guys we lose here to suicide. They might as well have died overseas. We've all contemplated it. The thoughts are relentless”. I don't see anything in the budget for PTSD.

That's from the medical doctors and the veterans. On the OTSSCs, a person may be followed by a psychiatrist and a psychologist and have one or two visits afterwards. They're discharged to no one. The JPSUs are very good, but they lack medical contacts. There's no medical transition. The vets are forced to look for family doctors, and many are not in shape to do so. There are far too few OSI centres. They have to go for assessment, and they often do not get follow-up. Veterans need regular follow-up with psychologists and psychiatrists where they are.

I'm also concerned because your department told me there has been only one study linking PTSD and dementia, but there are many. We're going to have one in five veterans coming back with PTSD, and for some it will be long-lasting. The dementia issue needs to be looked at, as well as acquired brain injury and its link with PTSD, but that's not being looked at.

The question I will ask is about Agent Orange and the Institute of Medicine. We're using 2004 information. The U.S. updates it every two years. I'm wondering if we're going to be doing the same.

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Once again, I would like to specify that we have 10 clinics for those struggling with operational PTSD. We are currently helping more than 13,700 veterans with PTSD, and 3,500 veterans have been treated in our clinics. Our support is ongoing.

I didn't quite get your question about Agent Orange. Could you please repeat it?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Absolutely, Minister.

Canadians are basing the information we have on illnesses, which are presumptive illnesses, on 2004 data. The Institute of Medicine in the United States updates that information every two years.

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Okay. I understand your question now.

I do not want to play partisan politics. The Agent Orange issue had been ongoing for a number of years. That being said, it was our government that decided to take action in order to address the situation of those affected by Agent Orange.

Initially, we invested money based on specific criteria. A few months ago, we realized that we had some money left over. We decided to expand our criteria so that widows could also benefit from the ex gratia payment of $20,000.

I can tell you that last December 22, I was...

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Just a second. I'm sorry to interrupt, Minister, but we'd like to be able to ask another question, and—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

We'll consider the Agent Orange question answered, and Mr. Lamoureux—

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Whatever research you can provide to us would be definitely beneficial and much appreciated.

Given the limited amount of time that we actually have you here before committee, I have a very quick question. There are issues in regard to health care facilities where our vets are. There are homeless shelters. We had reference made to food banks. There are suicides. There's a general awareness within the stakeholders that the government is not doing enough to find out what issues are facing our vets. Minister, specifically what are you, as the minister, and the government doing to aggressively pursue the issues our vets are having to face, as opposed to relying on the vets to come to you? What are you doing to get to those vets?