Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am not questioning your integrity at all, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hillier said earlier that veterans' allowances had never been reduced. I think he is somewhat mistaken and I am going to show you why.
Do you recall the last time you appeared before this committee? I had asked the department to draw a comparison between the veterans charter and the former Pension Act. The department came to the conclusion that, in two out of three cases, it was more beneficial for those whose disability rates varied between 2%, 3%, 4% and 40% to be subject to the old Pension Act than the New Veterans Charter. It was not me who said that; it was your department. It is written in black and white in the report. I hope you are aware of that. And now, you have just told us that the new charter is better for the veterans you have met with and that it will protect them. That's not true. In the report, your department said that that the old pension was better for those whose rate of disability was less than 40%.
Mr. Chair, it has also been said that the waiting list has been reduced by 36% in a year, but the fact remains that 64% of claims have not been processed. In addition, the minister is asking us for $155.6 million to deal with the backlog of payments and disability pensions. Have you thought about the fact that 36% of applications have been processed, but people who were deployed in theatres of operation and came back injured have not been receiving any compensation? You have just started giving them benefits. You have just asked for new budgets. That makes no sense. Yet you talk about respect for veterans. Let me just say that we are nowhere near that.
In addition, we are talking about your tour. I am aware there was a tour because you came to my area. But if you have a tour to meet with veterans who are not going to benefit from the New Veterans Charter, we have a problem. What is the point of meeting with WW2 veterans who are receiving benefits under the Pension Act and have no link with the New Veterans Charter? Even if you meet with them and talk to them across the country, that's not going to change anything in their lives, since they will never be subject to the New Veterans Charter. Those who will benefit from this new charter are our new soldiers, the ones in Afghanistan or the Blue Helmets who are going to be deployed as part of peacekeeping missions. These are the people that need to be protected, but the charter does not protect them. You can list all the amounts you want, but the fact remains that your department is telling us the opposite of what you are saying. For these people, the charter is not any better than the old act.