Veterans Affairs Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Now let's go to Ms. Blaney for two minutes and a half, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Minister, I know that you've probably been watching this committee closely, as I'm sure you always do. We're currently just finishing up a study on indigenous and Black veterans, and I want to say that I've been really disappointed with the lack of engagement from the Black community.

We reached out a lot in our office and connected with multiple Black veterans who were very clear in their discussions with us that they had no faith in the process and that they would not attend any of our committee meetings. That concerns me a lot, so I have more than a question: I want to say that I think there's something happening there that is probably really serious, and I hope that the minister will take some time to maybe explore that a little bit, because it always makes me sad when a particular group of veterans feels left out and feels that their contribution in a committee like ours wouldn't make a difference.

My next question for you is around women-only housing. We heard very clearly and repeatedly through the testimony on the women veterans study that a lot of women felt that they couldn't access veterans housing because there's a mixture of people there who can make them feel really unsafe. They also spoke quite clearly about having current serving members popping by to visit, which might be a great experience for some veterans, but for some of the women veterans who had experienced MST it was very traumatizing to see someone come into their space wearing a uniform.

I know that some money has been given to The Pepper Pod, but I'm not clear on what that's for and if that's actually moving towards having some women-only veterans housing.

Could I get some clarity on what's happening on that and if there's any commitment to actually building some women-only veterans housing to especially support women who we know are often facing higher rates of homelessness, especially indigenous veteran women?

Is there anything happening that we can be excited to look forward to as support for these women to keep them safe and keep them housed?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I promise that I'll be concise.

With respect to the first part of your question, which was about Black veterans, please know that is something I'm seized with as well. We've done some work with the No. 2 Construction Battalion and some of the family members as well. During Veterans' Week, we actually were in Toronto, where we unveiled a plaque in memory of all the battalion's members who served in the forces.

Again, engagement continues with me. I'm sorry to hear that they didn't want to appear at committee here, because I think it would have been very valuable to hear their points of view, but know that I'm seized with that as well.

With respect to housing and women and specifically to women veterans, again, it is an issue that I continue to hear about across the country as well. The $80-million announcement we made through Infrastructure Canada is to provide rent supports as well as wraparound services. If a female veteran chooses that she wants to live in a specific apartment building, let's say, and needs that additional support, those types of rent supports would be able to follow her. We want to make sure that they are the ones who choose, and if they don't want to stay in a specific building, they don't have to do so. The rent support is a support that follows them, as opposed to being attached to a specific building.

The other thing is that ensuring that people have access to the wraparound services they need is truly important. We want to make sure that we set veterans up for success, and sometimes they need a hand. If the wraparound services we provide can help them, I think it will be beneficial, and beneficial in keeping them housed even longer as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Minister. I know we started a bit late. I think all members would like to have a full hour with you, Minister, and afterwards with the officials.

Mr. Dowdall, you have five minutes, please.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here today. Thank you as well for your team.

I'm going to go back for a quick second here. I found my colleague's questions a bit earlier quite interesting.

As we know, you're definitely a busy minister as Minister of Veterans Affairs. Now you're going to be Minister of Employment and Minister of Workforce Development as well. I'm sure it's an honour to be asked. Certainly I would think that from anyone's perspective, it's probably a nod that you're doing a good job.

My question is more along these lines. With over 150 members of your party, why wouldn't you look for somebody else who was there? I know that you were asked, but just for each department and the amount of time.... I know how busy I am in my riding, just as a member of Parliament and not being a minister, in taking care of all the individuals we have. Out of 150 other members in your party, was there any suggestion on your behalf that perhaps someone else could have an opportunity?

On the other side of it, is there not a minister who perhaps isn't putting their name forward again who would have that experience in a ministerial department and could probably dedicate more time? Quite honestly, Minister, I think it doesn't matter what ministry this is: You can't really dedicate the same amount of time that you did before.

My question, I guess, basically, is that maybe you can keep up on this file, but are we doing justice on the other file, and why wouldn't you as a leader...? I know that it's a great nod for you to get the accolades and be chosen—and, as I say, with a great track record, obviously, for your party—but did you ever put forward the idea that you really want to concentrate on what you have here and that someone else would probably do a better job if they could dedicate 100% of their time?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I'm going to respond to that question this way. I think my track record speaks for itself. I'm a hard-working MP, I'm a dedicated MP and I'm a dedicated minister.

As I've indicated, I'm not scared of hard work and I'm not scared of long hours. This is a short-term commitment that the Prime Minister has asked me to assume, because there are probably going to be some appointments made in the very near future.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I'm not trying to pick on what you do in your role, because, as I said, it's a compliment to be asked. There's no doubt about it. It would be a certain honour, and it speaks well, I guess, to your work ethic, but is there not anybody else, out of 150 individuals, who probably could have dedicated more time to either one of the files?

Then, second, you said that there's going to be an announcement. How long do you think it will be that these two departments will not have a dedicated minister?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

First of all, I don't agree with the premise of your question. I am dedicated to these three responsibilities at this time. I was the former official languages minister. I know the file very well. I know this file very well, and I am certainly getting briefed up on ESDC—

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Once again, Minister, I'm not asking about your qualifications or what you do. I'm going to just say that for the departments themselves, I understand.... Obviously, as you said, it's fantastic. However, I think, for those departments, out of the number of people who are part of the Liberal Party, even if you didn't suggest it, you would think that the government might suggest it. The fact is that there were other individuals who had been ministers before who could dedicate 100% of their time. That is my point.

It's no slight to you as the minister doing your role here. It's just an overview of running an operation. It's the same as if it were a hockey team. You wouldn't do that. You would be busy running your hockey team. That's my question or comment. It's not about you or your ability; it's just that in the government overall, do you not think that it would be a better opportunity, not only for the individuals who are in the government but also for each department, to have one individual to talk to and to call?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Again, my response to you is that I'm a very hard worker. I'm not scared of long hours, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm thrilled to be able to continue being the Minister of Veterans Affairs. It is a portfolio that is near and dear to my heart, as is official languages, and I'm briefing up on the other portfolio at this point in time. This is a temporary measure, and, again, I look forward to continuing to work with the committee members here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you very much, Mr. Dowdall.

The last questions are from Mr. Randeep Sarai for five minutes, please.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here.

As noted in your opening remarks, the bulk of the estimates funds for VAC are benefit payments for supports that go directly to veterans for a variety of programs.

I think we all remember when Conservatives obstructed the estimates process last year with a marathon of votes, voting against, I think, every single program and every single penny of investment. If we fast-forward a year, we see that not much has changed, as they're paralyzing the House and preventing the advancement of key legislation while voting against a tax cut for all Canadians.

Can you tell us why it's so important that we pass the estimates? What are the impacts of these benefits?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Thanks so much, MP Sarai.

Again, the investments that we're making in order to help support veterans and their families are imperative. As we've indicated this year, when it comes to supplementary estimates (B), we're talking about $954 million in additional benefit payments that we'll be providing to veterans and their families. It's important to ensure that the supplementary estimates (B) go through the House quickly, because we want to ensure that no payments are going to be delayed. These are services and benefits that our veterans are counting on, and I certainly hope that all members of the House of Commons are going to vote in favour of the estimates.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Minister, we know that the Conservatives made deep cuts to VAC's commemoration work, but in this year's estimates, there's a line item to invest $3.8 million to support the Juno Beach Centre. Can you talk about the significance of the Juno Beach Centre and tell us why our government has made the investments to help the centre preserve the legacy of all Canadians who served during the Second World War?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I'm really pleased to see the department and the government continuing to support the Juno Beach Centre, as it is an important museum of the Second World War and of Canada's contributions and the sacrifices that were made. We continue to provide the support that the centre needs in order to ensure that those operations continue. Many of us who attended different types of commemorative events visited the centre, and I can say that the work they do there is really important.

The other part of the work at the centre, which I think is pretty important as well—and I found this out just recently—is that the staff, the young people who work there, are university students. They're Canadians, and they're proud bilingual Canadians who are working there and making sure that they're able to answer the questions of the tourists who attend the centre.

Just this week, I'm going to be meeting with the new president of the centre, Monsieur Christopher LaBossiere, who was recently named and is just starting his term. I'm looking forward to meeting with him and finding out what his priorities are going to be as he begins this new journey as president.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Minister, I found it a little appalling that my Conservative colleagues, in two rounds of questioning, only asked about whether you're competent enough to have multiple portfolios. I actually found it quite misogynistic, I think, that this was a question asked to a female minister who was given multiple portfolios.

You may not know the answer to this question. Have you heard of a question such as this being asked by other parties to other ministers, male ministers, when they were given multiple portfolios as a cabinet minister?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

No. I can say that I haven't.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Excuse me, Minister. There's a point of order.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

That struck a nerve there, eh?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I can't see you, Mr. Richards. I think it's you, but can you turn on your...?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I didn't realize the camera was off.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I'm sorry, Chair.

I guess what I wanted to point out, Chair, is that throughout today's meeting there have been a number of questions asked that.... You ruled that my question wasn't relevant, even though it related directly to a veteran, directly to something that is supposed to be a responsibility of the government to ensure for our veterans. Since that time, there have been a number of questions asked that certainly weren't on the estimates either.

I think you were correct in not ruling any of those other questions out of order, because I think there should be latitude on that, but that being said, you've made that ruling, and now someone is asking a question that is essentially trying to slander individuals of this committee—

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Excuse me—