Veterans Affairs Committee on June 19th, 2023

[Steven Woodman]

Obviously, there's an internal process at Veterans Affairs, and we're part of that. We're bringing forward comments and concerns, if you will, to both the table and the review of the entitlement eligibility guidelines and just in general to some of the changes we've seen in decisions over the past few years. It's really more of a conversation and bringing our comments forward, but I have every belief they're listened to.

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

I always hope they're listening to us as well, so I'm hopeful for you.

The last question I have is around the GBA+ training. I've seen it is something that is encouraged. I'm wondering if there's any discussions about it being mandated.

[Christopher McNeil]

We certainly have done that training across our board and staff, and we have certainly done that type of training as part of a larger component of responding, so being more empathetic, being more...“sensitive” is the wrong word, but basically it's ensuring we're serving the veterans in front of us. We've done that, just as we've done significant training on military sexual trauma and around race and how people experience service in those contexts.

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

Thank you.

Those are my questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you so much.

In order to finish at 6:15 p.m., because one of our witnesses has a flight, we're going to have two interventions of three minutes each.

I invite Mr. Blake Richards for three minutes, please.

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

Thank you.

Mr. McNeil, let's go back to where we were a half hour ago or so.

When I asked you about veterans and their general feeling toward VAC when they arrive before your board, you mentioned it's really more the system—for lack of a better way of putting it, I think that was probably what you were saying—that veterans feel has let them down. That tells me there's a need, obviously, to make some changes in how things are done so veterans are getting the results they expect and deserve, rather than ending up feeling like the system has let them down.

I wonder if you have any suggestions for us on ways there could be improvements made. In particular, are there things that VAC can be doing in their decision-making processes that would cause fewer veterans to feel like they've been let down and fewer veterans to feel there's a need to appeal those decisions as a result?

[Christopher McNeil]

I think no matter what, there will always be appeals. People are dissatisfied.

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

That's understood, but we all want to try to reduce the numbers.

[Christopher McNeil]

Yes. I come out of the criminal justice system, and I come out of a system where there all kinds of individual parts to that system. Everybody has their individual independence, but the system has to come together and discuss these things within their independent roles to open the system up. We try to do that at the board, in the sense of being a partner, as part of the system. I think the system is trying to evolve. I have a little piece of it. My piece is much smaller. I don't have the back window. That is why we work very closely with BPA now to improve how we work, and we hope that will transition down to veterans.

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

Before it arrives to you there, is there anything you could see that would improve the outcome? I get that there are always going to be appeals, but is there anything that might improve the outcomes at the beginning?

[Christopher McNeil]

Again, I come to this work from a background in restorative principles. Often, I think it's how you meet the person at the door, their first contact, in a way to restore their trust. These are people who have served their country. They have a very deep trust. I think those kinds of principles, meeting at first contact and asking what can we do, how do we make it smoother, how do we help them.... I believe it's all relational. Instilling those kinds of restorative principles would go to some degree, but that's from a guy from 25,000 feet up.

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

That's appreciated.

Is it one of those things where sometimes we need to apply a bit of individual common sense to some of those things?

[Christopher McNeil]

It's a little too much inside baseball for me. It's a very big system there. We're a little system. We can make changes quickly. Where we are on the board, we can respond quickly when we see things. I can't speak to VAC, but I certainly think the sooner we meet the veterans with some effort to demonstrate to them the things we're trying to achieve, the better off we'll all be.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you so much.

On behalf of all members of the committee, including myself, I'd like to thank the witnesses for the discussion this afternoon.

We were studying the backlog at the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. From the Department of Veterans Affairs, we had Steven Woodman, acting senior director, legal operations, Bureau of Pensions Advocates. From the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, we had Christopher J. McNeil, chair; and Jacques A. Bouchard, deputy chair.

Thank you so much.

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I don't know if it's too early to wish you all a good summer. In any event, I want to thank our interpreters, the analyst, the clerks and the entire technical team for accompanying us.

The meeting is adjourned.