Evidence of meeting #18 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was you're.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Absolutely. I think it's ridiculous that there is a barrier between the two elements. It's like the left hand not talking to the right. It is the same body. It's for veterans coming from an organization that promotes veterans. It's the government, right?
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
The other issue you won't have faced as yet, but people leave and they're not allowed to take their medical file for whatever regulatory reason. I only got mine because somebody mistakenly gave it to me, so I photocopied it—
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
It takes a long, long time. Would it be a good idea to give somebody a copy of their medical file—
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
—not the original, because it has to be archived and so on eventually, but to get a photocopy?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
I think having a copy on hand presented to the member upon release is ideal because you can go anywhere in the world with it. There may be a barrier to wherever you want to go if you can't get information from the government. At least you'll have that documentation on hand to present it, as necessary.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
It might not be to VAC, but maybe to your new family doctor or something like that.
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Could be. Maybe you decide to move down into the States, or somewhere sunny and warm, or whatever.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
I want to talk about family support for a minute. Your story was very moving, very compelling. We read all the incidents and clearly your family was an important part of your recovery and will continue to be.
From your experience so far, and I realize it doesn't extend to VAC yet, can you make any recommendations about what we can do better to support families, families of people like you who are an incredibly important part of the whole process?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
I think through the Military Family Resource Centres...providing them with the means to employ more people who can reach out directly to the family members on their ground, on their turf. So again, as I said, I was in a place in Cambridge. I'm well outside the circle of Petawawa, but while I was getting my treatments or I had my stints where I had to go back to the hospital for a couple of weeks or whatever, well, who's hanging out at the house, right? It would be nice to have someone go and visit them on their turf to make sure they're comfortable and cared for.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
You mentioned the process. You spent $70,000. You got it nine months later, whatever. Obviously, anything we can do to.... There's a process of having to put in the bills and getting reimbursed and so on, but I agree, it shouldn't take nine months. So anything we can do to speed up that process between the time you spend and the time you get it back—
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Speed up? Don't have the member pay it.
That was the chunk of money that I got for my arm and my leg, and now you're asking me to pay it back again and separate myself from it? Oh, I just got this back, okay, that makes me feel secure for a little while, but now I have to pay out $70,000—
Conservative
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
It's not actually...you're paying it out of the lump sum you have because that's the money you have on hand, but the renovations to your house and so on are paid for over and above that. It's just you have to expense it.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Okay, I think we have it clarified now. Thank you for that.
We go to Mr. Galipeau now, please, for six minutes.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Sergeant, I thank you for sharing your story with us. Our colleagues know that I'm the son of a veteran and I don't know my father's story. I not only thank you for sharing it with us but for helping your daughter Heather to live it also so that in 35 years or 45 years she doesn't do as I do and say she doesn't know her dad's story.
Not only were you the most eloquent speaker that we've ever seen at this table—
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Thanks. I'm honoured. I'm just speaking my mind and speaking from the heart.