That's correct, yes.
Evidence of meeting #43 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #43 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Okay.
Mr. Larlee, are you aware that the funding for your board is provided through Parliament, through what's known as the estimates?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Do you know which estimates funded you this year?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Ms. Sharkey's doing all the heavy lifting today.
October 1st, 2012 / 4:40 p.m.
Director General, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
Do you mean which vote in Parliament?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Could I suggest that we go back to that at the end? We're just about at the end of the questioning.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Sure, we'll do that so that I don't run out of time.
In a nutshell, though, the NDP members have consistently voted against funding these estimates. If the opposition members had their way and if the NDP was able to stop funding for your department, what would be the impact for veterans as they go through the veterans appeal process?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
You don't have to comment on the party side of it, but perhaps you could provide the numbers, if you have them.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
How many veterans would not be able to access your services each year?
4:40 p.m.
Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
As I stated, it's in the range of 5,000 decisions rendered per year.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Thank you very much, Mr. Larlee.
We will go to Mr. Casey for five minutes, please.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Larlee, I want to come back to a point that was raised by Ms. Adams.
You got some bad press back in May as a result of your overseas travel. Did I understand you correctly to say that there was no demand from the government or from the minister for you to repay that money, and it was a decision that you made of your own accord?
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Okay.
You would also know from that press that I indicated we wanted a chance for you to provide a full explanation. I heard your answers to Ms. Adams. This is your chance, if there's anything else that you want to say in connection with the travel to the Cambridge lecture series.
4:40 p.m.
Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
I would only say that it was a matter of my own professional development. As the chair and the leader of a national agency, a quasi-judicial tribunal, I felt that it was of benefit to me. I remain in the position that it was of benefit to me and assisted me in leading this tribunal. Again, as I stated, upon being made aware of the concerns raised, those expenses, all of which were pursuant to Treasury Board guidelines, were repaid in full.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
I expect that you have read in detail the report of the ombudsman back in March. In fact, I think you indicated in your remarks that a bunch of steps have been taken as of March. I presume they were in response to the report.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
The ombudsman, with the assistance of a major Canadian law firm, raised some very serious concerns about the rate of overturn in the Federal Court.
My question for you is a broad one. If we can take it that a high rate of overturn is indicative of a problem—and I hope you'll give me that—can I ask you, sir, whether you believe that the problem that results in this high rate of overturn is a problem of structure within the board, or a problem of personnel?
4:40 p.m.
Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
The ombudsman's report was received by the board, and we welcome the recommendations in the ombudsman's report and have taken measures to put into place responses to his recommendations.
I can address four of them. We placed a priority on decisions being returned by the Federal Court. We have established a task force with the Department of Veterans Affairs to deal with decisions coming from the Federal Court to identify any items that can be addressed. We have also established a working group to work on guidelines with our members in order to provide more plain-languaged and clear decisions. As I stated in my opening statement, those are to be in place by the end of the year.
With respect to the operation of the board, the board functions very well. We deal with many decisions. We have a very detailed instruction process for our members. Once they proceed and are appointed to the board, we have a 12-week training period. Before the board members sit on a case, they receive instruction on legal issues, administrative law, and the interpretation of medical opinions and evidence. As a result, I'm very confident that we have very knowledgeable and well-qualified administrative adjudicators.
They work in 30 locations across the country in rendering decisions so that veterans are well served in this country. In addition, the tribunal is supported by 85 full-time equivalents in Charlottetown, and they are very well qualified and very dedicated to all the work they do for veterans. They work tirelessly to ensure that the decisions we render provide veterans every entitlement that they are allowed under the law.