Evidence of meeting #90 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 budget.
A video is available from Parliament.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs
That have not applied for the benefit? Actually, it's automatic that they're in.
There were 362 under the old benefit on March 31, to be exact. Right now, 244 have automatically transitioned. We are now reaching out to the other ones as to why they have not provided us the information, because they are eligible.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
How many, who were previously funded, no longer qualify for the new caregiver benefit?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs
There may be 26, to my knowledge.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Okay.
When we were travelling this past week, we heard from a veteran who said that she had two claims pending, and she was told that her requests are being held until April 2019 because she will receive more money once it's processed after April 2019.
How much of that current backlog is due to this decision, due to the delay, and how will this impact the current budget?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs
None of the backlog should be related to what you told me. If you wouldn't mind giving me the name of that person, I'll follow up, because it sounds like something very specific.
If they're applying for an injury or any one of our programs that are in existence today, they should not be told to wait until 2019. Somebody may be counselling them, saying that there may be more benefits under the new...but that should not be. Sometimes some of those recommendations do not come from Veterans Affairs staff, so we do have to be careful. If you have more information, I'm willing to take it offline.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Sure. Thank you.
Now I'm going to go to some of the numbers. I had asked the minister earlier, when he talked about the centre of excellence, and there was a huge announcement of $17.5 million over four years for the centre of excellence.
I'm just asking you to clarify this, because within the budget and within the numbers, it's basically referencing only half a million dollars. Can you explain that to me? I'm not an accountant; I have a basic understanding of line items.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs
This year it is setting up the centre. We estimate that the needs and obligations of the centre will be in the realm of $500,000. Therefore, the line object this year is $500,000. That means helping the Royal set up the board of directors, and putting the right mechanisms in place, etc.
Next year, we—I say “we”; it's not me, it's the centre—are going to bring in the staff, giving out the research grants, and all of the management things. That's when the money will increase. The first four years are really the set up, and then it's an ongoing amount. That's why the first year is really a little bit more select.
Conservative
RAdm Elizabeth Stuart
Budget 2017 proposed an investment of “$17.5 million over four years, starting in 2018-19, and $9.2 million per year ongoing”.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Okay. Thank you.
The minister has talked to us about advertising, especially to rural Canada and to rural parts. Can you point out to me where in the budget those figures are, and how much that would be?
RAdm Elizabeth Stuart
There are two aspects. The main issue that has to do with advertising is an annual submission that goes in that is centrally managed. The advertising amounts are included for the federal government. Each department has an amount, and we report on expenditures as well.
More specifically, not quite advertising, but the outreach—I think it was mentioned earlier—in budget 2017 was $22.4 million over three years starting in 2017-18 for an “outreach strategy to ensure” that veterans and families “are informed of the range of supports available to them.”
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
You have $22 million, basically, to put forward for advertising.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Okay.
My next question for you, then is—and I hate to throw you under the bus, Mr. Doiron— why would you be sending out letters to newspapers in rural Canada, asking them to publish them as a letter to the editor, instead of advertising the services you provide for our veterans in rural Canada?
I'm happy to give you the copy of this once you're done.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery, Department of Veterans Affairs
I'd like to see it because I don't remember sending that out. It could have been something that maybe my colleague, the ADM, has more information on.
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
These rural papers are your supporters. They're there to help you. You have a budget and yet you're not utilizing them to provide the service for you. You're asking them to do it for free. They can't sustain it, because these people in rural areas don't have the technology for Twitter, etc. They don't have the lines.
Charlotte Bastien Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Oversight and Communications, Department of Veterans Affairs
I take note of your comments, and I will take them back.
I just want to point out that we have been working on an outreach strategy. There is an advertising part of it, but we also use social media, and we also work with our local partners and folks on the ground to get the word out to organizations that help and reach out to veterans. The strategy is not just focused on advertising or relying on the local media available. It's a much more extensive, exhaustive strategy.
Conservative
Conservative
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
Thank you.
Finance department officials have calculated what a carbon tax is going to cost the average Canadian family. They have not shared that information with Parliament; in fact it's been redacted.
My question for you is this. Have you been involved in any discussions with the finance department to understand what impact a carbon tax is going to have on veterans and their families? If so, do you know what that number is?
