I have several questions.
First, the government has announced budget cuts. Will the Department of Veterans Affairs be affected?
Next, according to the study entitled Survey on Transition to Civilian Life: Report on Regular Force Veterans, we must expect 12,000 of the 40,000 soldiers in Afghanistan to be suffering from major depression or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Could you tell me if you have the staff required to meet the needs of those future veterans? What specific measures will you be taking to support them?
Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome can also be very difficult to treat. The department is facing a shortage of specialists. Are you planning treatment solutions for those suffering from mental health issues?
I am also aware that researchers at the Military and Veterans Health Research Institute feel that there is insufficient research into a full understanding of the mental and physical conditions affecting our veterans.
What are you going to do to improve the research into a better understanding of the health problems that our 21st century veterans are experiencing?
The report entitled Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study: Causes of Death tells us that the suicide rate for veterans is almost twice as high for those on active service. How does the department plan to deal with this alarming problem?
And how do you explain that veterans can wait up to ten years in certain cases before receiving benefits?
A number of veterans say that they sometimes feel shortchanged by the department, to the point where people mention cases of a breakdown in trust between veterans and the department. Does the department recognize this as a problem? If so, do you plan anything specific to solve it?
According to the Income Study: Regular Force Veteran Report, veterans who come under the New Veterans Charter have seen their incomes decrease much more than those who fall under the Pension Act. How do you justify this decrease in the income of our veterans?