Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 25th, 2011

[Keith Hillier]

Yes.

Across Canada, I have approximately 60 service locations, 24 of which are on or near a Canadian Forces base. So while we're reaching out to modern-day veterans and providing a one-stop service for them with the Canadian Forces on the bases, we aren't losing sight of the sacrifice of our Second World War and Korean War veterans. So there has been no reduction in service to these individuals.

They can still go to an office, they can still call us—or in fact they can have their case worker come out and visit with them.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you.

How much time do I have, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

You have time for one more quick question.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

I have one more quick question. Actually, I may have a longer question, but there would be no time to respond. Nonetheless, I want to ask you this.

You're probably aware that this committee is undertaking a study on commemoration, and I noticed that the RPP contains a projected increase in funds for remembrance. Could you speak to some of these initiatives?

[James Gilbert]

Thank you for asking about our commemorative programs and Canada Remembers.

We're moving forward with a number of exciting initiatives. We're wanting to keep service standards to traditional veterans while reaching out to modern-day veterans. Likewise with Canada Remembers, we aim to cherish the memory and remembrance of the brave men and women from the traditional era, but also look at commemorating modern era conflicts. We're reaching out, because, as we're looking at the demographic of the traditional warrior veterans going down, the importance of reaching out to the youth is fundamental to keeping those memories alive.

That's why we are investing in a media campaign. We have a Facebook page. We're always using the new technologies, so this year we'll have an iPad application, an Android application, and we're also using the QR reader technology where you can scan the bar code and go straight to our web page. So we're using all of the modern technology and the social media to reach out. At the same time, we still have Salute! magazine in print media format for traditional veterans. We're pleased to make the investments needed to keep the commemorative activities relevant for Canada's youth.

Thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

Now to the NDP, and Ms. Mathyssen again....

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have two questions.

First, you've talked about how you will reach out to veterans. One of my big concerns is about the issue of homeless veterans. We hear that some of them are living in very rough conditions. If they are indeed homeless, how on earth will they contact the department? They don't have access to Facebook or the new technologies. They are quite desperate souls.

My second question pertains to the contract beds in vets' hospitals. I have a veterans' hospital in my riding. I know it's a policy decision that post-Korean vets cannot access these beds, but I'm wondering what the cost is to the department of these contract beds. And when that last Korean vet is gone, where does that money go? Is that a savings to the department?

What concerns me about all of it is.... I believe it was Mr. Gilbert who talked about understanding military culture. Post-Korean vets have a military culture that is not necessarily going to be understood outside of the support of a place like Parkwood Hospital.

[Keith Hillier]

Mr. Chair, I'll take the second question first. With regards to long-term care funding, like all funding, any lapse in departmental budgets is returned to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. So it doesn't stay with us—and that would be equally applicable in relation to the beds.

With regards to homelessness, that's a challenging file. I think it's safe to say that if there's one homeless veteran, it's one too many. But I think you have to put it in perspective, and I just want to talk about some of the issues with homeless veterans. Sadly, there are some veterans who are homeless who want to be homeless. There are people who are in fact receiving services and benefits from the department and are choosing a certain lifestyle.

To connect with these individuals, we're working through various social agencies. About 190 agencies have been contacted. We're actually working in Vancouver on the lower east side and doing a project with the Wounded Warriors Society of Canada and Veterans Affairs. We have a somewhat different project with the Wounded Warriors Society in Montreal. We're working with the Royal Canadian Legion in Toronto in a partnership with the Shepherds of Good Hope. In fact, one of our case managers actually goes to work every day at the Shepherds of Good Hope because you're quite right: we have to be able to reach out to these folks. These folks are probably not going to show up at our office and ask for help; a system of trust has to be created.

I can tell you that just last week I was in Halifax and I met with the executive director of Shelter Nova Scotia and I actually met with some veterans from an organization called Veterans Emergency Transition Services. I had a chance to meet with them and look at the types of things they're doing to help get veterans off the street.

Probably the key to this is getting to the veterans before they actually spiral to that, whether you call them couch surfers or others who are going through difficulties in their personal or professional lives, by working with the programs of the new Veterans Charter to get them into rehabilitative services. We can try to prevent the spiralling down to the point where a veteran ends up on the street, but sadly, some will be there. We're doing a lot of work to try to connect with these people through the various social agencies and veterans' organizations. When they make us aware of a veteran we immediately assign a case worker to try to work with that veteran.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Chair, I wonder if I could ask--

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

It would have to be very brief.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

--whether the department would supply to the committee that information on the cost of those beds.

[Keith Hillier]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you.

For the last time slot, we go over to Ms. Adams.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thanks.

Well, just to give an update on how it is that we find ourselves here, we were of course in the midst of a study on commemoration. In fact, last week we had a number of witnesses lined up, including a teacher who the night before--at 11:30 p.m., he tells me--had been at a school in St. Catharines. He woke up at about 4 a.m. to get up here to Ottawa to share the story of how he takes more than 2,500 students each year to Vimy. Clearly, then, commemoration is something that is near and dear to many people across Canada--to many children, to many Canadians, and certainly, I'm sure, to every member of this committee. So it was very odd and very unique to halt such a study.

But the concerns that have been raised are alarmist and extreme. I just want to quote from a press release that I'm told has now been removed from a committee member's website. Apparently everything after September 22 has been removed. I'll take that as tacit acknowledgement that in fact the content was erroneous, or perhaps not factual. Perhaps this was an apology.

We do have a number of printouts, of course, but I just want to clarify for the record this time, while we do have everyone here...and because this meeting was convened simply to deal with this subject. So just to confirm, the press release, dated October 19, by a member of this committee, said--and I quote directly-- that “they just cut $226 million from veterans' supports and services”. We learned during this committee meeting that in fact it was not “just”; rather, this projected estimate was issued back in March.

Any member of this committee, whether newly elected or not--let's say they were newly elected in May--would have had ample opportunity to avail themselves of this information. Especially if they were the critic, let's say, for a particular department, they might want to pull the estimates to see what they say. Those estimates would have been available in May, right after that election.

So to state on October 19 that they “just” cut $226 million, in some sort of alarmist fashion....

Sir, would you say that's an accurate statement or an inaccurate statement?

[Keith Hillier]

I won't comment on your commentary, Mr. Chair. All l can say is that the documents are available as part of the normal government budgetary process. This year has been no different from past years.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

So it wasn't “just” in October. This estimate was available back in March, as you testified earlier.

Is that correct?

[Keith Hillier]

That's correct.

[James Gilbert]

And it's not accurate to say that it was a cut.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thank you. Exactly.

So in regard to the following portion of the sentence, which says “cut $226 million from veterans' supports and services”, has any money been cut from veterans supports and services?

[Keith Hillier]

No.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

I'm sorry, I didn't hear that.

[Keith Hillier]

No.

[James Gilbert]

No.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

Just two weeks ago, in fact, an expansion of services and benefits flowed to our veterans under the new Veterans Charter enhancements.

Is that correct?

[James Gilbert]

Yes, that's correct.