Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 12th, 2020

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Rachel.

Number one, I know you truly care and I will help in any possible way I can, but I want to say to you and to everybody on the committee and to anybody who is listening that if there is a veteran who is struggling, the Department of Veterans Affairs has an emergency fund. It is so vitally important that you—and I know you will—direct them to that path, because for anybody who is in great difficulty, this funding is there, and we want to make sure that it's accessed.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Minister, has the uptake of the emergency fund gone up simply because of COVID-19?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I would have to ask the deputy for the exact figures on what has been accessed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Could you give us a 10-second answer, please?

[Gen (Ret'd) Walter Natynczyk]

Early in the pandemic, Mr. Chair, the uptake from the emergency fund had increased slightly but right now, and over the last few months, it's actually been tracking similar to the way it has been in the last two years that it has existed.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

Now we will move over to MP Seeback for five minutes.

Go ahead, please.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, the PBO says that the backlog will be reduced to about 10,000 applicants by March 2022. That's in their report.

You've said today that you will have addressed the backlog by 2022. Does “addressed” mean eliminated? If it means eliminated, when in 2022, in that big block of 12 months, will it be eliminated?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Kyle, thank you very much.

Of course you're well aware, as is everybody, number one, that the reason I do not want to say we're going to totally eliminate the backlog is that there is—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

So “addressed by 2022” doesn't mean eliminated. Is that what you're saying today?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

What we're doing in the department and what I have directed the department to do is to address the backlog. We want to deal with the backlog and make sure it's dealt with in an efficient manner. I can assure you, Kyle, and everybody on the committee that it will be dealt with.

It's impossible to say—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

What does “dealt with” mean?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

—that we're going to eliminate—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

What does it mean? We know you're trying to.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

What we're going to do is to make sure that we have it well under control and that we get it to be as low as possible. We will be sure to do that. In fact, even without these 500 plus employees coming online, we have reduced the backlog and we will continue to reduce the backlog.

However, what I cannot say as the minister is that.... Number one, we do not know how many are coming in. If there are complex cases, I expect that's what will be left. Complex cases could be left afterwards. What I don't want to say is that every last file will have been dealt with, but what we will do is to make sure that it's addressed. I don't want you to be able to say to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, “You promised you were going to totally eliminate the backlog.” That is a big thing to say because of the complications in applications, and I think you understand that.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I understand that.

I just want to be clear. What you're basically saying to veterans today is that when you say it will be addressed by 2022, that means it will be reduced somewhat, not eliminated. By the end of December 31, 2022, the backlog will not be eliminated; it will be addressed, whatever that means.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I never said it will not be eliminated. I—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

So when in 2022 will it be eliminated, then?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I explained to you what takes place in the department.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I know what takes place—

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I explained to you what doesn't—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

—but I'm just asking you.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Again [Inaudible—Editor]

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

It's okay to say that it won't be eliminated.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Again, we'll have questions through the chair, folks.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Well, Mr. Chair, what I'm trying to do is respond to my honourable friend as to the complexity of some of the cases, and I think you have to be honest in your answers. I am not going to say there will not be files that will be over the 16 weeks after 2022.

What I am saying is that the files will be addressed, the process will be in place and we will deal with the backlog. I can't have Kyle or anybody coming to say to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, “You promised there would not be one file, that you would totally eliminate it.” That is not the language to use. What we're going to make sure—