The fact that you feel maligned means you've lost perspective on what it means to serve and what sacrifices are being made on your behalf. In fact, we sat here and complimented the employees. When they're one-on-one with us, they're great. They're overwhelmed with work. The files that Louise was talking about are overwhelming for them. The policies and procedures are overwhelming for them, and I would say that you represent the governing party, which has every possibility of authorizing more resources to help further staff Veterans Affairs and find a replacement for those jobs that could be lost.
There's no maligning on this end, but we are maligning the system, and the system may consist of people, and if people want to take offence at that, that's their choice.
We need to address this problem, because 25 years ago we made the same requests that are being made at this committee, and nothing's happened. Why hasn't anything happened? It's because the system's still the same. We can't keep defending our little tribal areas. We have to look at the big picture and start making sacrifices for veterans, because we made them for you.