That's because the investments do not in any way mean that the Government of Canada will have spent the $4.2 billion that was on the table in the budget letter in 2017-18. The initial investment that is booked in the accrual accounting represents the additional investment of all currently eligible veterans. Every single one of them immediately receives the entire amount payable by the government until death.
Over the subsequent fiscal years, in the accrual tables, the amount is negative, meaning that it will cost less than what was already payable as a disability award. If the government had presented the fiscal years after 2022-23, the total investment would have been lower than the $3.6 billion announced.
I would be pleased to provide a written comparison of the accrual accounting amounts versus the cash amounts that are actually paid and received by veterans in a fiscal year.