Evidence of meeting #37 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was transformation.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Guy Parent  Veterans Ombudsman, Chief Warrant Officer (Retired), Office of the Veterans Ombudsman
Keith Hillier  Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

I think I'll just leave it at that.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr

No, you're welcome to—

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON

The point I was trying to make with that—and it was a good, lengthy answer—with the demographics there is a tremendous opportunity within the confines of the budget of Veterans Affairs, which is over $3 billion a year, to provide unique and innovative services to our modern-day veterans. There is a huge opportunity like no other time in our history to provide these unique opportunities. With the demographics and the changing face of our veterans, we're into a period where it is rational and appropriate to embark on a transformation agenda because there are tremendous opportunities to serve our clients.

4:25 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

Yes, we must get it right for the veterans.

Transformation is not about what we're doing today or tomorrow. It's about laying out a framework for modern-day veterans, not unlike what was laid out for war-era veterans. So we're laying the groundwork for transformation for the next 10 to 15 years, and that's why it's a big project. It's going to take some time to get there, but it's important to get it right.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr

Thank you very much.

Mr. Storseth.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Parent, for the work that you do on behalf of Canadian Forces veterans and Canadians as a whole. Mr. Hillier, it's good to see you again. You, too, Mr. Walbourne.

Mr. Hillier, you were discussing your visits to Canadian Forces bases. I think it's excellent that you take that initiative. How often would you do site visits like that in a year?

May 31st, 2012 / 4:25 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, but last year we probably did about 20. I think the important part is that we did it with the Canadian Forces. Standing next to me, my deputy, or one of my ADM colleagues was the chief of military personnel or the deputy chief of personnel. So we could stand up there and we could talk. We gave a bit of a presentation, but the big part of it was the town-hall discussion—not unlike what Mr. Parent has. Some of our groups were as small as 50 in some places. At Petawawa the place was full—there were hundreds in the main hall at Petawawa. That gave us the chance to talk to veterans and for veterans to talk to us.

I've also gone to the training college of the chief warrant officers. These are key players. For the last two years, I've gone there and I've done a town hall with chief warrant officers, who are extremely influential with the men and women serving. I said to them, “Look, if any of your men or women are ill or injured, be sure to call us.”

If we get that message out, it is a great help. Even if they only suspect they're injured, and even if the men or women don't want to talk with Veterans Affairs, we ask them to call. We have peer support coordinators all over the country. They may not be ready to talk to a bureaucrat or a case manager, but they might be interested in talking to somebody who served and can appreciate their situation. If such and such happened in such and such a place, we have people who might be able to relate to that, to understand.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

I think you should be commended for this. I have heard of members of Veterans Affairs coming to some of my bases. It's been very well received. Part of the problem in the past was that men and women in the Canadian Forces perceived a barrier at Veterans Affairs. I think it's very important that they know of this open-door policy. I would even suggest that you inform the Royal Military College of this, so they know about these possibilities at an early stage of their careers.

I'd like to talk to you about the transition from the service to civilian life, when they're engaged with the VA caseworker. What are some of the practices we're using for that period? This can be a confusing time for serving members. Talk to me a little bit about some of the advocacy organizations that are there for members to use but that may not necessarily be within DND or VA.

4:30 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

There are basically two processes: one for those who are medically released, and another for those who are releasing maybe because they're retiring or taking a job elsewhere.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Let's focus on medical release.

4:30 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

For medical release, we have a casualty notification process. If a veteran is injured overseas or in Canada, we have an automatic notification of that injury. We automatically get that out to our caseworker in whatever city it may be. In the early days, the lead is with the case manager from the Canadian Forces, because the member is still serving. But we introduce our case manager as well, so it's a bit of a dual. One might call it an overlap, but I think it's important for trust. As the member gets closer to releasing, the level of input between the Canadian Forces caseworker and the Veteran Affairs caseworker changes. We try to make it as smooth a transition as possible.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

They're there to facilitate that transition.

4:30 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

They're there to facilitate. They're there for the veteran. They're there to have those discussions about rehabilitation, what programs.... Also, it's really important to note that the veteran can bring family members to these discussions, or a trusted friend, whoever the veteran might want to be part of those discussions. But we try to make it as hassle-free as possible for the veteran moving from the Canadian Forces medical system.

It's one of the challenges that we have to work with and facilitate, because for many years they've been used to a Canadian Forces health system. The day they take off their uniform and are released, they're now part of the health system of the province they'll be living in. In some cases, Veterans Affairs has to top up because some of the benefits that the releasing member may need may not be as widely available in the general population—things such as a drug formulary, and various types of treatments and benefits that the veteran would need.

It's really a matter of the case manager working with the veteran and with the veteran's family.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr

Thank you, Mr. Hillier. That will end round one. Round two will be four minutes.

Mr. Stoffer briefly, and then Mr. Chicoine.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

This is for confirmation again.

With the transfer of Ste. Anne's Hospital, there will be approximately 1,300 federal DVA jobs that will be gone from Ste. Anne's alone. Then from DVA's own information, an additional 804 jobs are to be reduced over the period of three years. That's a reduction of 2,100 jobs out of a department of approximately 4,100 to 4,200, representing a 45% personnel cut, which in personnel is a bit more than 1.1%. The government on that alone will be saving a tremendous amount of money in that one department.

My question to you is, with the transfer of Ste. Anne's and with many modern-day veterans, including some World War II veterans who cannot access things like the Camp Hill hospital, the Colonel Belcher, or the Perley, etc., what is the federal government's plan, through DVA, to offer long-term health care for modern-day veterans?

4:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

I guess there are a couple of things.

First of all, Mr. Stoffer, I don't believe it's 1,300, but I won't argue with you over that.

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

That's their own figures.

4:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

Well, it's around 900 FTEs, but there are casual and part-time individuals and what have you. I want to remind you that the work is going with those. We're not trying to run the hospital with fewer people. The hospital will be transferred—

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

That's not what I'm arguing.

4:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

The transfer is happening, it's simply that those jobs will no longer be under the federal government.

4:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

That's correct.

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

They'll now be completely different. So there's a removal of those jobs, plus the 804 that your own department has identified.

4:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs

Keith Hillier

That's correct.

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Approximately 2,100 jobs, we have been told, will be removed from DVA, leaving approximately 2,000 people, unless you hire more in the future. We don't know. So what I'm saying is that there's a 45% personnel cut.