Thanks very much for that, Chair.
I'm focused on the participation rates of various programs. I don't really want to do this, but Mr. Doherty raised a point here. Of course this is heartbreaking work that we're all engaged with and we can never do enough. We want to go faster, but even as Dr. Passey pointed out, the problems that we face today stem from cuts made before the 2015 election. This is not what I want to be talking about here. Those cuts were compounded by a 90% increase in uptake of veterans programs. That uptake happened because we were offering better and more programs. We are earnestly doing our best to rebuild what was broken by the previous government and to keep up with the demand created by the work that we've done to provide more services. You're helping us to do that.
I'm sorry I had to go there for a moment. I would like to turn now to participation in some of these programs. For example, on the VAC assistance service telephone line, we understand that participation rates by family members are very low. I think that's held out as one of the programs through which we are trying to help caregivers and family members—even children as I understand it—in veteran households.
If any witness has experience with the assistance service telephone line, would you have any feedback for us on why the numbers are low, why uptake is low and what we might do better with that phone line? I'll just leave that wide open for anybody who has had that experience.
Mr. Gauthier, you have the floor.