Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

That's it; thank you very much.

Mr. Lizon.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

I have a quick question on long-term care.

I understand that each province has long-term care programs for all of its residents. I would hope that no province would discriminate against veterans for the very reason they're veterans, since they are residents of one province or another.

Do all provinces provide long-term care for veterans? I understand that we have extra services for our veterans.

Can you perhaps give a quick answer on that?

[Suzanne Tining]

I can answer by saying that veterans receive long-term care in all provinces in the country, and there are a few provinces where the federal government pays for the entirety of the costs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you.

Ms. Mathyssen, you have a brief minute.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

One of the problems and concerns that I have in regard to veterans issues is homelessness among veterans. We know a significant number of them are homeless, but there's been no clarity in regard to precisely how many, and what's happened to them. I wonder if the department—and I assume you don't have time now—could please put in writing any plans that you have to look at homelessness among veterans, and any thoughts that you may have in regard to transitional housing, because there simply isn't enough transitional housing for those veterans who are not doing too well at the moment.

[Suzanne Tining]

We certainly told the committee what we know and what we have done and what we are considering doing in the short term to deal with homeless veterans.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much. You people are real troopers here.

Ms. Adams, you have a minute.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thanks very much.

The veterans ombudsman recently released his report, and I know you haven't had much time to go through it, but can you give us a general sense of the department's response to the items raised there?

[Keith Hillier]

I would say that our response is very positive and that we work with the ombudsman. For example, I have quarterly meetings with the ombudsman so that many of the things that had been noted in the ombudsman's report—and we appreciate his input—we've actually been working on for some time. So this doesn't come as just an end-of-the-year report, and then it's over to us. We are working with the ombudsman, and we'll continue to work with the ombudsman, to make the adjustments that somebody from maybe a little bit afar can bring to our attention.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

It was the Prime Minister and our Conservative government that established the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman, and I know it's very well-received by our veterans. Monsieur Parent serves a very critical role for our veterans.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much. You do have a one-minute time spot left on the Conservative side, if there's another question.

Okay. That concludes the rounds.

I want to thank our witnesses very much for being with us today, and certainly I'm sure that, if there is further information that is needed in writing, you will provide it, as you said. We appreciate that as well.

We're now going to go to the vote on the supplementary estimates before we deal with other business. There are two votes that we have to deal with. If the committee is ready, I will call the votes under Veterans Affairs.

VETERANS AFFAIRS Department Vote 1b--Operating expenditures..........$33,051,286 Vote 5b--The grants listed in the Estimates and contributions..........$31,050,000

(Votes 1b and 5b agreed to)

Thank you very much.

Shall the chair report votes 1b and 5b under Veterans Affairs to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

I just had a comment about the next business, but I understand that you want to do some committee business. If so, we'll move in camera.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Chair, if we're going in camera, I would ask that it only be by way of a formal vote. There's been far too much on this committee that's happened in secret, and I would hope that if we're going in camera, it's by way of a formal vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Yes, and it's by a straight vote. You're moving that we go in camera.

There's a motion on the floor to move in camera. All in favour, please say aye.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

We will now go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]