Thanks, Chair.
I appreciate you guys for being here today and pushing for the change that you're pushing for.
My role is that of shadow minister for Veterans Affairs. That's often referred to as “the critic” for Veterans Affairs, and for most people that is associated with someone who's complaining or is expressing negative thoughts or sentiments. Really, I don't see it that way. I see it more as the true root of the word “critic”, which is to be a judge, and that can apply in a lot of places.
For example, for you guys, when you served in the Canadian Armed Forces, you would, I'm sure, have received constructive criticism during training to help you be better prepared for combat. That's what would have been expected in any role. My role as the official critic in terms of the government is that I really try to do what I can to point out what I think the expectations of veterans would be of the government, much like for you when you served and the expectations for you as members of the Canadian Armed Forces would have been made clear.
My question for you, based on that, would be this: What are your expectations of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Prime Minister with regard to recognizing wartime service?