Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
First of all, I would like to acknowledge and welcome our veterans present here. Thank you very much again for your great service to our great country.
Thank you very much to the witnesses for coming. Thank you for your work for veterans.
Before I ask a question, I'll make a general comment. We are living in a rapidly changing world, and I truly believe that whatever we do, we have to acknowledge the fact that the world is changing and the way people communicate is changing. We have to prepare people for new ways of communication; it's something we cannot avoid.
People used to communicate by phone. Most of us here will remember rotary phones. I remember the phone that was before that. It only had a crank, and you would get the operator on the other side, who would connect you. Some people probably don't remember that.
And not necessarily everybody had a phone at home. There was either a phone booth or the post office. Therefore, on the argument that not everybody has a computer now or access to the Internet, I would agree; maybe not at home. But there are places, and many of them, to which people can and do go to use a computer. The same argument could have been made then, that not everybody has a telephone and that therefore within walking distance there should be an office where you go to meet someone face to face.
I hear negative comments from...on the part of the Legion, and I know they do tremendous work with veterans. I work with and am always in touch with the Legion in Mississauga, in Cooksville. I rather hear positive comments on many initiatives that we do.
As my colleague said before, there is always room for improvement. If something doesn't work, I guess we are in a position to change it, to expand it, to go a different route. But I think we should be flexible and open-minded, if I may say so.
I would like to ask a question on the topic of proactive communication with veterans. Of course communication is a core, important function of Veterans Affairs Canada. We've spoken about plain language in the letters that are sent to veterans.
Can you outline how your office and department communicates proactively with veterans on the many aspects of changes that are taking place at Veterans Affairs Canada?