Thank you.
I will agree with my colleague's intervention somewhat with respect to the importance of trust and of establishing that trust with veterans. I was the chair of this committee for two years. I was parliamentary secretary for the Minister of National Defence for two years. I can tell you that I spoke with a lot of members, both veterans and those transitioning to become veterans. I'll tell you, one of the ways that we establish trust is by continuing to support them.
One of the ways that we've done that in this government is, of course, by reopening the veterans offices that the previous government closed. We also changed the criteria to allow more veterans to be qualified for the supports. Of course, the impact of that created the backlog, which you talked a little bit about, Minister.
It's continuing that work and continuing on that path that will develop that trust. Trust is earned. It's not something we can snap our figures and solve or throw money at and solve. It is earned, and it is something we need to continue to work towards.
Minister, through you Mr. Chair, this is a new role for you. I know that prior to politics your work was in social work. I'm wondering if maybe you could speak a little bit to the priorities you have in this role and the ability to draw from your previous experiences of providing service and listening to folks and how those might impact your priorities as the Minister of Veterans Affairs.