Evidence of meeting #121 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was recommendations.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Craig L. Dalton  Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman
Sharon Squire  Deputy Veterans Ombudsman and Executive Director, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Is it good news so far as we announced it?

4:25 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

The program is good news. How it plays out for reservists is something we plan to look at.

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Absolutely.

You talked about transition being a very important piece. We know we have a joint committee between DND and Veterans Affairs to make it seamless. One recommendation that came from your office I understand, as well as from our committee, and which was really important in that seamless effort, was the navigator initiative.

Can you comment on how it's going?

4:25 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

Sharon mentioned this earlier and it's really part of the transition group stand-up and pilot, where the intent is to provide different levels of support to veterans depending on how much support they need, but it's still in the pilot stage.

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Do you have any comments on how the pilot's going?

4:25 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

No, we haven't had a chance to visit the pilot yet, but it's still quite early.

June 10th, 2019 / 4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Okay.

My next question is about children. You talked about how you would like to do more research about the children of veterans. I think that's a very important theme. I was doing some door-knocking yesterday and that was brought to my attention as well.

Do you have any vision around that? Do you have any ideas of where you might go and do some work around that topic? It is crucial. We know that when a veteran deals with tough issues, so does the family and the children.

Do you have any ideas, if you were going to write a scope on how you might print something up as a reflective white paper or something? I don't know. I'm just throwing things out there.

4:25 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

No. We're at the point of starting to scope so we recognize it because we've heard from veterans that it's an issue, but apart from anecdotal stories, we haven't had a chance to really examine this in a deep way.

We're going to do that work first. We're going to do a qualitative study. We're going to ask for veterans and their families to share their experiences with us. Once we've done that and we can identify where gaps might exist, then we will be in a position to make recommendations where appropriate.

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

On the transition one, in the last budget as well, it's very important to note that also includes non-injured veterans. What do you think of that, Mr. Dalton?

4:25 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

Within a week or two of being appointed, I had the chance to attend the transition group's stand-up. Having myself transitioned, I think the notion that we should be having all of the programs and services in place at the time of release and we should be doing everything we can to ensure that serving members and their families can transition successfully is a great idea. What we have to do, though, is to do it. We have to get there.

4:30 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

What is your opinion on universality?

4:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

I'm sorry, Mr. Samson. You're out of time.

Mr. Kitchen.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you both for being here today. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet last week, but for me it's fortunate because I couldn't have been here last week. I'm glad I'm able to be here and hear from you today, so thank you.

VAC has said to us that it has started to hire more veterans case managers. I'm wondering, from your point of view, first, whether you agree with that, and second, whether that should be implemented more quickly and whether you have heard from veterans on that very issue.

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

I'll take the last one first, if I may. I have heard, in talking to some veterans—and these are some of the more complicated cases that are confronting veterans and their families—from those who have expressed some frustration regarding access to case managers. In some cases veterans have “graduated” from that program, if you will, and no longer have a case manager. I would simply say that for any veteran and veteran's family who are struggling to navigate their new reality and to get the programs and services they require, that support should be provided in as comprehensive a way as possible.

I do not have an update in terms of progress on the initiatives you mentioned. I'd refer you to VAC for that.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Having veterans as the case managers, do you see that as an asset?

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

Having veterans as the case managers...?

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Yes. That's what I was referring to. Sorry, I went too quickly there. I mean having veterans as case managers.

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

No, I don't have an opinion on that. I have heard anecdotally that sometimes it works really well. Certainly somebody who has walked a particular journey, you would think, would be helpful.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Okay. Thank you.

We did a study on homelessness. The committee did a study on homelessness, and I'm interested in hearing from you as to the discussion on that point, on what the ombudsman may have been approached on or heard about on those avenues. Any comments you could make on that would be appreciated.

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

I would first off commend you for the work on that important issue. It is an issue that we hear about from stakeholders, particularly those who are engaged at the coal face, if you will, in supporting homeless veterans. I would note that it was our office, a number of years ago, just after it was established, that largely started the conversation around the fact that there was homelessness amongst the veterans population and that it needed to be addressed.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

I've heard from one or two veterans on the issue of veterans who were captured or ordered to surrender in previous theatre situations. I'm wondering whether the issue of veterans sitting in a situation in which they have been captured and held for less than the specified 30 days, as is set there, has been brought up to you. If it has, what have you done about it? What steps along those lines would you suggest that we as government should be taking when we're dealing with a veteran who may have had to surrender and be held captive for, say, 15 days?

Ultimately they were captured for one day but, who knows? The torture from one day may be worse than the torture in 15 or 30 days or vice versa, and we don't have that answer. I'm just wondering if you have any comments.

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

It's not an issue that's been raised with us since I've been here. I'm not sure if it's an issue that's been raised.... It doesn't appear to be an issue that has been raised with us, but I would encourage you, if you're speaking to veterans who have concerns in that area, to please refer them to us. We'd like to speak to them.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

There is a concern that if they are not held that they aren't receiving the benefits that those who were being held for 30 days are, and that those who were held for maybe 15 days are not getting the same type of compensation.

4:30 p.m.

Veterans Ombudsman, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Craig L. Dalton

We'd certainly like to speak to those individuals to better understand what those situations might be and, if appropriate, to make recommendations in that regard.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

As you've heard from many of us, there has definitely been a backlog. There are 40,000, and every year it's getting more and more, and we're seeing 3,000.... Some are more urgent than others, but ultimately every year it seems to be taking longer and longer for our veterans to get services.

What would you suggest VAC could be doing to improve that number, to bring it down versus taking it up?