Evidence of meeting #29 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Acting Director, Veterans Services, National Headquarters, The Royal Canadian Legion
I cannot answer that. I wasn't contacted, and neither was my predecessor.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I see.
You alluded to quality of service. How would your unit be able to assess the quality of services rendered by the new firm? Would you use grids or would you conduct interviews with professionals? How will it be done?
Acting Director, Veterans Services, National Headquarters, The Royal Canadian Legion
We would hear directly from our veterans we deal with on a daily basis across the country. We have 27 professional service officers who help veterans daily, whether it's to obtain treatment benefits through VAC, first applications for disability and entitlement to various claims. They're not shy. If they're not getting the service they need and deserve, we will hear about it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Excuse me, Mr. Desilets.
Mr. Maxwell, I saw you raise your hand. Maybe one of the members will ask you a question, so do not hesitate.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I'm sorry, Mr. Maxwell, I didn't see your hand raised. If you'd like to answer the question, please go ahead.
Executive Director, Wounded Warriors Canada
I just don't want to lose.... I want to support what Carolyn is saying, because I'm with her. We stand there together. I don't know if this is the forum for offering some input, so please let me know if I am able to do that.
My point was more around the fact.... Let's not worry so much about who was consulted, or how we were consulted, because it's clear we were not consulted. The most important part about this process going forward is, what is going to be the impact and the effect on the population going forward?
The decision has been made, rightly or wrongly, but as a committee we have to look at and ask, as individuals on this committee, as a department, as a government and as a country, what kinds of services are going to change?
We've been talking about the backlog in the VAC disability claim situation a month ago. Is it 25,000 in adjudication who are now waiting? We're talking about the cultural competency of the care, how it's received and how it's delivered. We're not so much concerned about who is providing it, but how it's provided.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Maxwell, I certainly understand your concern, as it's also one of our committee's concerns.
What I see, however, is that a new structure is being put in place without any consultation. It doesn't take into account what people who have expertise in this area know, and I am a little concerned by that.
So I'm wondering how staff who will be providing services are to be evaluated. That's part of my concern. I don't know if you have any input on that.
We're being told that veterans will be questioned. I am a former school administrator, and I wasn't necessarily questioning the kids to see if the teacher was good and doing their job properly. I would question whoever was providing the services.
That's the question I am asking again.
Ms. Hughes, how do you feel that—
Executive Director, Wounded Warriors Canada
I'm bilingual by half, Luc. I need some help. What's the translation of everything you just said?
Can someone help? I can't hear the translation, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
We are going to ask the technician to call you quickly.
I think that the question was addressed to Ms. Hughes instead of you.
Is that okay?
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Ms. Hughes, I'm going to ask you my question again.
When a minister is not doing their job well, there are people, such as the ombudsman, the Auditor General, the Commissioner of Official Languages or the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who do research and then make recommendations.
What concerns me about this contract is how services will be evaluated and who will evaluate them. Actually, will services even be evaluated?
Acting Director, Veterans Services, National Headquarters, The Royal Canadian Legion
I'm not sure what you're asking because we don't know what types of services a veteran necessarily is receiving one on one. My concern is more that they get the services they need.
When a veteran is denied a certain service—let's say they want to have massage therapy—and Veterans Affairs says that they're not eligible for it, that's where we can step in and say that, based on their condition, it's reasonable. We can work with them to get that overturned at the department.
Whether we're doing that through Veterans Affairs directly.... We would probably actually continue to still do it through Veterans Affairs directly and have them speak with the contractor to get it clarified.
Right now, they're doing that through Medavie Blue Cross. From my understanding, it won't be much different from that.
Acting Director, Veterans Services, National Headquarters, The Royal Canadian Legion
Could I make one more comment? We also have monthly meetings with Veterans Affairs Canada. I often bring up various things that we're seeing and that we have concerns about.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Ms. Hughes.
Now I'd like to invite Ms. Blaney for six minutes or less.
Please, go ahead.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you so much, Chair.
I want to thank all of the witnesses for all that you do for veterans. I really appreciate it.
Of course, Ms. Hughes, I'd like to acknowledge your service to our country. I deeply respect that service.
I would like to first come to Ms. Morand, if I can.
I appreciate your testimony. I'm just trying to get the timeline a little bit clearer for myself. What I understand is that the first step was that you were asked to provide an expression of interest, which you did.
Can you tell us about when that was?
Occupational Therapist and Clinical Care Manager, As an Individual
I think that was around August. It was this summer, because I had a response back from the contact person in September. That's when they asked me about the data completion form, which I still haven't....
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
You still haven't completed filling out the form, is that correct? Is that because there's no room to put “OT” or “CCM" in?
Occupational Therapist and Clinical Care Manager, As an Individual
That's right. I still do not have an understanding of what their format will be, or, again, whether there will be an OT or clinical care manager role. I'm not sure. I don't know.
NDP
Occupational Therapist and Clinical Care Manager, As an Individual
I didn't get an answer.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
You've been providing these services for over 20 years. I would guess, after 20 years, that you have a pretty comprehensive understanding of how to work with veterans. I think Mr. Maxwell talked about this earlier—that cultural knowledge. When you do it for a long time, you definitely develop that, I would assume.
We don't know whether you're going to be on that list, as a provider, because you're not getting answers back from VAC.