Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, minister, and thank you for your participation.
I wanted to say something, first of all, on Mr. Casey's last question. He asked whether, as you downsize, you will be sensitive to your employees. I think the question should be, and rightly so, whether as you downsize you are going to be, and were you, sensitive to the veterans and the programs and services they receive. After all, that's the most important part of your department. That's the most important mandate. It is to provide the programs and services veterans need, when they need them.
I see, Minister, in the estimates, that in fact, there is about a $45 million net increase in funding for veterans. The majority of that funding—I think it was a net $85 million in additional funding—was for grants and disability awards, earnings, losses, etc. I want to commend you, because cutting a department budget the size of yours is something that is a big challenge, particularly when your department is providing such needed and essential services for our veterans, who so richly deserve the help they need.
I have been in business and have gone through a couple of recessions and have survived them. I know that when I had to cut, I had a vision in front of me, which was that whatever I cut in my business, it could not hurt my relationships with my customers.
Minister, when you and your department started this process of downsizing, as you're required to do in times like these, did you have that mandate and that vision? Did you create the mandate for yourselves that whatever you do, it cannot result in decreased services and programs for the veterans, the people we need to help? Was that your prime driver as you looked for ways to cut your budget?