Veterans Affairs Committee on Dec. 6th, 2018

[Michel Doiron]

I've been told by somebody who's been around longer than I have that there have always been backlogs at Veterans Affairs. I know when I arrived there were backlogs. I arrived in December 2013, and there were backlogs then. In those days, in 2014, we finished the year at about 36,000 files in adjudication. The backlog by memory was probably in the 6,000 to 7,000 range. Actually, it was a bit higher than that. We did a big push to bring it down.

As new programming comes in, more demands come in. I think I've told this committee here before that my personal calculation is that we will hit over 60,000 files in adjudication this year. I may be off by a couple, and please if I'm wrong don't...but I think we're going to be pretty close. Last year we had 52,000 and the backlog now is higher than the 6,000 it was. The backlog is just under 14,000.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you.

I understand there's been a 32% increase in the number of applications.

[Michel Doiron]

That is correct.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Over what time period have you had that 32% increase?

[Michel Doiron]

It's over the last two years, so year over year.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Would you say that's also contributing to the backlog?

[Michel Doiron]

Absolutely. We have more files coming in, and as the deputy and the minister mentioned, from one perspective it's a good thing. People are coming forward. We have to do better. I can't give excuses on that, but there are more files coming in. There are more programs.

The big game-changer, I think, was when the earnings loss benefit went to 90%. That's where it really moved not only in adjudications but in case management. At that point, on October 1, that December my case management ratio was below 30%. I was at about 28 point something. Within a three-month period, the number of people who started coming forward and applying, who needed case management and everything else, just skyrocketed. When you're running a first application approval at about 85%, which is what we're running—in 2014 we were running at about 70%—people now are saying I have a good chance of getting it in, especially on the mental health side. We're really making an effort. I think, all said and done, that's why we're seeing this big influx coming in.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

I'm going to ask a couple of questions.

[Michel Doiron]

Yes, sir.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Number one, when the agreement between the government of the day, and I believe it was the previous government, for the transition to Ste. Anne's of the services they were providing.... I believe 738 individuals who were previously working at Veterans Affairs were transferred to the payroll of Ste. Anne's. Am I correct in saying that?

[Michel Doiron]

I would have to confirm the number of people transferred because I was not part of the transfer program.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

I recall that from the time. Technically, you could say that those were jobs that were cut from VAC. Is that correct?

[Michel Doiron]

They were transferred to the province.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Yes, so you could say the government of the day cut 738 jobs.

[Michel Doiron]

I would say they were transferred to the province, but....

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

So would I. Physically, I know this is not an easy question. I've been very critical publicly. You know that.

[Michel Doiron]

Yes.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

You probably heard my comments. I ran a business and I know about growth of a business and what it does to you and how it strains you and how you have to figure out how to deal with it. You have growth and you have to figure out how to deal with it on a timely basis. I talk about redesign, re-engineering, things you have to do. It's not only adding people, but looking at your systems, so I'm happy to hear you say that.

On one of the issues, there are a couple of specific things. When you talk about adding adjudicators, where physically are they being added in the operations?

[Michel Doiron]

They're in multiple places, sir. We added some in Charlottetown. I opened up a unit and they're in training currently in Montreal because of some of the comments from the ombudsman on the French language, that it was unacceptable. I'm also the champion of official languages at Veterans Affairs.

We added a unit there. We added resources in Winnipeg...or I shouldn't say “added” resources. These are new resources. We were not doing adjudications at those sites.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Right.

[Michel Doiron]

Talking purely adjudications, I added a unit in Kirkland Lake.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Okay, so they are not all in Charlottetown.

[Michel Doiron]

No, sir.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

What is the physical need in Charlottetown? We heard the minister and the deputy talk about adding people as fast as they could. I immediately think of the square footage of space that you need to house these people as one of the issues you have to deal with. How are you dealing with it?