Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 1st, 2022

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Niki.

I can assure you, Private Larochelle's story is exceptional, and I'm certainly fully aware of it. He demonstrated unbelievable bravery in combat. I know you're fully aware of that too.

Of course I fully support anything that the military does to make sure that folks who serve bravely receive the recognition they deserve. As you know, if the military decides to take the steps they take, you and I, I'm sure, will fully support them in any way we can—and I will make sure I support them in any way I can. As you know, however, I'm not part of the chain of command, and it's important that as a cabinet minister I don't interfere in the responsibility of the military.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, Ms. Ashton.

Now for five minutes, we have Mr. Fraser Tolmie.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Thank you.

Mr. Minister, thank you for participating tonight. I don't have much time, so my questions for you will be quick.

In an answer from your office to an inquiry that was submitted by my colleague Mr. Frank Caputo, the number of applications, according to this answer, is increasing. As a result, the backlog of applicants is increasing.

Would you agree with the numbers that have been provided by your office?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I will get the deputy minister to touch on this.

[Paul Ledwell]

Thank you, Minister.

Yes, there were some details provided in the question by Frank Caputo. In actual fact, the number of files that we were handling has gone down. We've reduced the number of files waiting to be addressed down by 10,000, and the actual backlog, as the minister indicated earlier in his comments, has been decreased by 40%.

As of last week, the numbers in the backlog are now down below 14,000. It is declining. We have more work to do.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

The answer that you just provided doesn't jive with the answer to the inquiry I have here.

When I look at the numbers here, it says on April 1, the number of pending applications was 26,600 and the backlog was 11,500. When you go to July 1, 2021, the number pending increased by 3,000 to 29,900 and the backlog went up to 12,900. On October 1, 2021, the number pending was 33,200 and the backlog was 14,400. On January 1, the projections are that it's going to be 36,500 pending, with a backlog of 15,800.

Is the answer that you provided to Mr. Caputo incorrect?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

No, it's not. The fact is that they were answering the question, but if you check the statistics, you will find that for the last number of years, the backlog has continually reduced. I've indicated quite clearly that it will continue to be reduced.

I will let the deputy explain how these figures came out.

[Paul Ledwell]

The numbers that you are quoting are accurate. They are numbers that project ahead, given the resources that we have at the present time, but, again, as the minister has indicated—

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

You're projecting that the numbers are going to go up. The backlog and applications are going to go up. Is that what you are saying?

[Paul Ledwell]

Based on the current resources, that is the indication. However, as the minister has indicated, there is a commitment to seeking further resources so that that backlog can continue to go down.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

I'm a bit confused, because in the minister's opening statement, he talked about a number of investments. He later referred to “additional benefits” for the applicants. In his answer to Mr. Caputo, he talked about additional resources, and that's not been absolutely clear. We need to know what those additional benefits are, what those investments are going to be and what those additional resources are going to be.

Could you clarify that for me?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I will tell you, my friend, the fact is that in the figures you have to date, the backlog has decreased. For the question that you asked about the funds that are available this day, you have those figures. I've indicated quite clearly that we will be seeking and putting more investment into making sure that the backlog decreases.

That is the answer to that question.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

My question is whether you are, in this upcoming budget, going to be allocating finances to this and continuing to keep the employees that we have in service.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I cannot indicate what will be in the budget because it's not appropriate. However, I've indicated quite clearly that I will be seeking additional funding to make sure that we continue on the same track that we're on to reduce the backlog.

That is what I've said and that is what we will do.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Minister, and thank you, MP Tolmie.

The last questioner of this panel is Mr. Darrell Samson, for five minutes. Please, go ahead.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, it's so nice to see you, even if you're in P.E.I. and we're here. I appreciate your intervention and the fact that you could join us today.

I also welcome Paul, who is our new deputy. We've had good conversation. Thank you both for being here today.

Minister, I want to talk about the veterans emergency fund. That's a fund that we brought forward in 2018 to help veterans who were in tough situations—probably short-term, hopefully, but if there was no help, then it could be long term.

From what I've been hearing and reading, that fund has had a very big impact on many veterans right across this country. They can get up to $2,500. Can you describe some of the impact you have heard and seen for these veterans?

What was happening was that there was an emergency, but no discretionary funds. This is a program to come forward right away and support these veterans.

Could you talk a little about the veterans emergency fund ?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Darrell.

The veterans emergency fund is $1 million a year and vitally important to the veterans— anybody who is down and out, down on their luck and that type of thing. It has helped so many people. A veteran can receive $2,500.

So many times you find people who are up against it totally. It could be a family in a home, it could be a mortgage, it could be whatever. These things were put in place just to make sure...to try to help repay them. You can never repay veterans for what they did, but it's to make sure we make life as good as we can for them. That's exactly what the emergency fund is about. After we use the emergency fund, the other programs can kick in in order to make it much better.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Minister, thank you for that answer.

Also, we brought in a new education and training fund. This is for helping veterans who, after they finish in the active armed forces, can go back to school. If they've done six years in the military, they can get up to $40,000. If they've done 12 years, they can get up to $80,000.

I understand the uptake of that program is not as high as we would like, but can you see some type of correlation with the new employment strategy program? Is there a way we could design that program that would complement this education and training benefit that is helping many veterans right across the country?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Darrell.

You're fully aware that, of course, the national veterans employment strategy program, which we're working to put in place, can certainly work with that. With the education program and everything else, it makes the veteran more employable. In fact, veterans can leave the military and then perhaps end up going to university. If you've been there for 12 years, $80,000 means a lot in helping you to become more qualified for wherever you want to go.

As you're fully aware, we're discussing the national veterans employment strategy with the veterans and veterans groups and having their input on what will be put together. When we get it in place, the end result will be combining all the programs: the national veterans employment strategy, the education fund and all the other programs that are in place. These programs are put in place to make sure the veteran has a better quality of life, and that's what your responsibility and my responsibility is.

I appreciate every person sitting at the veterans affairs table tonight, because everybody here wants to make it better for veterans. I do, and everybody else there does. I thank you so much, and we will continue to work together.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you, Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Darrell.

Mr. Minister, on behalf of committee members, I want to thank you for being here this evening with the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. I'd also like to thank you for making yourself available so quickly, as the committee has just resumed its meetings.

I would now like to address committee members.

Based on the notice of meeting sent out, the meeting should be adjourned at 8:30 p.m. As you know, however, votes were taken. I would therefore like to propose something to you and very briefly hear your thoughts on it.

We are receiving other guests who were called to appear, namely the assistant deputy minister and the acting assistant deputy minister. We will take a break to test the audio with our guests. Given that several of you already have other engagements after 8:30 p.m., I propose that we test the audio and take a break, but that we do only one round of questions with the second group of witnesses. That would mean a single round of six minutes per member from each party.

Is that all right with you, or do you wish to take a full hour?

Rather than giving the floor to everyone, I will ask one of the vice-chairs, Mr. Desilets or Mr. Caputo, to tell me what he thinks of the suggestion.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Yes, my colleague is just trying to get my attention. Might I just speak with her very briefly, Mr. Chair, please?

Mr. Chair, I have no plans. I'm not sure if my colleagues have any plans. I'm in the hands of the remainder of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

It's up to the committee. We can stay one more hour with our witnesses. Are we ready? We can go on.

We're going to take a break. We're going to invite those witnesses to come in. After that, we're going to come back. We're going to take a break for about one or two minutes.

I will now suspend the meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Before we start, I'd like to ask members once again: Are we going to do a full hour or only the first round of six minutes for each party?

I understand that Mr. Caputo said that he has no problem staying for the full hour. Is that the consensus?

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Chair, I believe MP Block has a limited amount of time. I don't want to keep her past any commitments here.