Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 18th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you, MP Brassard.

Now we go over to MP Casey for six minutes, please.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My questions will be for Ms. Vaillancourt.

You started your opening remarks with an update from the testimony that you gave on March 12. You talked about case managers. We had this conversation on March 12, but you would agree that once a veteran has been approved for benefits, then case managers are engaged. While your members, the case managers, are important to you, they really don't have anything to do with the backlog. We're talking about disability adjudication.

I want to stay on the subject of your March 12 testimony because I found it interesting that you sought to update your testimony with respect to case managers, whose connection to the study is tenuous, but you didn't provide an update with something else you said on March 12, yet you had written to the committee to ask to update your testimony.

I'm referring to the reference you made on March 12 that it's unfortunate that disability adjudicators are based in Charlottetown. After I contacted your membership here in Charlottetown and they told you how displeased they were, you waited nine days before you wrote to this committee to ask to update your testimony.

My first question to you is: Do you have the email that you sent to the committee where you asked for your testimony to be updated?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

It would be in my folder.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Would you send it to us, please? I haven't seen it.

One reason I haven't seen it is that the update you asked to make was so different from the testimony you gave that the editors of the transcript deemed that it was inappropriate. The testimony that you changed your mind on nine days after you gave it is still part of the public record.

I think that's a problem, don't you?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

Well, I'm glad you asked that question because it gives me an opportunity to clarify my previous remarks to the committee.

First of all, I want to acknowledge that there are many bilingual people in Charlottetown and on Prince Edward Island. It was never my intention to say otherwise, nor did I or do I wish to denigrate anyone from Charlottetown, especially the staff at Veterans Affairs Canada and the members of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees who work there.

What I did refer to the last time I was before the committee was the fact that there are challenges in recruiting bilingual professionals to complex positions within Veterans Affairs Canada. The department would seem to agree with me, since according to the testimony from one of my union colleagues last week at the committee, they are transferring bilingual employees into Charlottetown to meet existing needs.

Mr. Casey, I hope we can move past this issue and refocus on why we are here today. Canadian veterans and their families are suffering. We need to work together in order to bring them the best possible services and programs. We ask you to work co-operatively with the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees to make that a reality for our veterans and their families.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

I'll be happy to work co-operatively with the Union of Veterans' Affairs Employees when their absentee leadership stops smearing my constituents and unionized members who are not part of their union. That's where I want to go next.

You are aware that these technically proficient bilingual people who handle the complex cases are not represented by your union. They are actually represented by the union that we heard from in the last meeting, from Doreen Weatherbie. Did you let Ms. Weatherbie, the person who represents these employees that you smeared, know of your comments at the committee on March 12?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

I was not smearing any members in any way, shape or form, Mr. Casey. It was.... The way I put it out, I said to pull those positions out. It was never meant to say pull those positions out. I'm clarifying my testimony to you. There are not enough bilingual qualified positions or people within Charlottetown at this time, and the department is actively bringing bilingual people from Ontario and Quebec into Charlottetown to meet the needs that are there, and we, at the Union of Veterans' Affairs Employees, do in fact have members who work in the first application process as well.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Have you had that conversation with the union leader who represents these employees, the ones where you say there aren't enough in Charlottetown? You have refused to substantiate that when I've asked you to do so on March 12, March 27 and November 1.

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

I have talked to the PIPSC representative.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

I find that surprising, because she testified to the contrary. She testified that she was unaware of the comments that you made on March 12 when she came before the committee. Which of you is telling the truth?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

She is not aware of the specific comments that were made, but Doreen and I have had a conversation in regard to the committee.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Will you now apologize to the people whom you indicated that it was unfortunate that the disability “adjudicators are...in Charlottetown”? Will you publicly apologize to them now?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

Well, as I said, there was no smearing of members in any way, shape or form, but if that is what you are requesting, I apologize for anything that I did to upset you, Mr. Casey.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you. I have no further questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

Now we'll go to MP Desilets for six minutes. I believe you're in the room, sir.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to stay on the same topic as Mr. Casey, but I'm going to take a different tone, so not to worry, Ms. Vaillancourt. I do understand where Mr. Casey is coming from, though.

Revenue Canada has three service locations in Quebec. Is that not something Veterans Affairs Canada could consider?

Everything is centralized in Charlottetown, and we realize that recruiting staff is challenging. Getting people to come to Charlottetown is tough because it isn't a central location in the country.

Where do you stand on having more than one location to accommodate case managers, among others?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

Well, we actually have employees working all across Canada and, given the pandemic situation, we've been able to show that the work can be done from anywhere where the qualification is. So absolutely, we can have positions in any province across the country in any community across the country.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

You know as well as I do that the wait time for French-speaking veterans is almost twice as long as it is for English-speaking veterans.

How do you see that problem being solved, if not by opening an office in Montreal or Ottawa to help with the processing of French-language claims?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

Well, I'm hoping that we never get to the point of not seeing service centres for Veterans Affairs in any of the provinces and communities. We fought very hard to get the nine offices reopened that were closed, because that has a negative impact on the service being provided to our veterans.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I see.

I'd like to hear what you think of the fact that, in principle, at least, 300 new case officers were hired in January.

Are they performing their duties yet? Is 300 a realistic number?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

We still see a backlog, even with the additional hiring. It does take time to learn all of the legislation, policies and procedures that are required and that are in place for veterans applying for benefits. We do still see a backlog and we're still waiting for staff to be fully trained on the positions.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

To your knowledge, are the 300 employees promised on the job?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

From the last update I had, they are continuing to hire for those positions. I'm not sure from the department, because I am waiting for an update from it, how many are actively and fully in seat, trained, and ready to go.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I see.

Ms. Vaillancourt, would you be able to share that information with us once you have it? Initially, 300 positions were available, and in June, there was talk of 400. It would be helpful to the committee to have someone follow up on that. Would you be able to get back to us?

[Virginia Vaillancourt]

If I can get the information from the department, I don't see why it can't be shared. I am still waiting for information from a meeting at the beginning of October.