Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 19th, 2023

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you very much, Minister.

I'll now prepare you for Mr. Desilets' questions. Indeed, I expect he'll ask you a few questions about the monument to commemorate veterans who took part in the Afghanistan mission. In your opening remarks, you talked about the importance of commemoration. So I have a question for you on that.

I know that over 10,000 veterans and their families participated in the online survey asking their opinion on the five concepts proposed to the public. Respondents indicated their preference for the concept proposed by the Stimson team. The jury came to a different decision. From what I've read, among the veterans who responded to the survey, a majority of 63% preferred the Stimson team's concept. Among veterans and their family members, it was 56%. I think that's worth mentioning.

You knew that you and the Minister of Canadian Heritage were invited to testify before the committee. I'm going to ask you two questions, if I have enough time.

First of all, can you tell us who made the decision about the concept chosen for this monument?

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

Thank you for asking that important question. It's coming up often during question period, these days.

First, let me take a step back. The whole issue of the memorial for the Canadian mission in Afghanistan began in 2014. Veterans were unhappy with the location the previous government had chosen to erect the monument.

In 2015, when we came to power, we began to do the necessary work to ensure we found a location that would suit veterans. We then launched a consultation on the creation of the monument. Canadian Heritage set up a jury, as you so aptly put it, and the jury members made their choice from among several proposed monuments. Allow me to add that we're blessed in Canada with top-quality artists who presented their concept for a high quality monument.

At the same time, Veterans Affairs conducted a survey to find out what veterans wanted. In the end, over 10,000 Canadians responded, as you said, and the Stimson team concept was chosen by the majority of veterans. That's why we chose this concept. The veterans told us it better represented the valour, sacrifice and loss of the veterans in question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you very much, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Casey.

Mr. Desilets, you have six minutes.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Casey, thank you for opening the door by raising this subject.

Thank you, Minister. We are pleased to welcome you. Of course, I'm going to talk about the monument. Surely you and others were expecting it.

It's standard practice in the world of public art for the Department of Canadian Heritage to partner with another department to set up a competition and a jury of experts to select the winning team for a given project. I say that for the benefit of all my colleagues, though they're probably well aware.

In the current case, Minister, as you and Mr. Casey were saying, the ministers of Canadian Heritage and Veterans Affairs effectively initiated the process and decided to override the jury's decision to award the contract to another team based on the results of an anonymous online survey. I think that's exactly where you were headed, Minister. It should be noted that even the jury was made aware of the survey's content and took it into consideration.

Minister, did the decision to reject the Daoust team come from your office or from Mr. Trudeau's office?

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

First of all, thank you for the question, Mr. Desilets. I fully expected to have this exchange here today, and we'll probably have the opportunity to discuss it over the next few weeks as well.

What I find a bit surprising, when we get questions about the memorial for the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, is that we never hear about the veterans. We hear about the artists. I appreciate the essential nature of the work done by artists here. However, I repeat that, as Minister of Veterans Affairs, my priority is to look after veterans and make sure they are well served and listened to.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Minister, I understand and I am sure you'll do a good job. However, what I would like to know is whether the decision came from your department or Mr. Trudeau's office.

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

The decision to choose the Stimson team's concept came from our government.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Are you talking about the Trudeau government or your own department?

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

It's the government, Mr. Desilets.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

All right.

Minister, were you aware that the Minister of Canadian Heritage requested a legal opinion following your decision, that is, the government's, to reject the Daoust team?

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

I wasn't at the department at that time.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Were you informed that a legal opinion had been requested?

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

You gave me that information when I met with you a few weeks ago.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

So you did not receive that information from others in the department. Very well.

In that case, were you aware that the Minister of Veterans Affairs needed Pablo Rodriguez's signature to authorize the exclusion of the Daoust team?

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

Once again, I learned that from conversations.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Do you agree with that?

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

Once again, Mr. Desilets, I repeat that as Minister of Veterans Affairs, I am taking into consideration the wishes of the majority of veterans who filled out the survey.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I'll come back to that.

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

For me, that's a priority.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I understand.

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

Over 40,000 Canadians participated in the Afghanistan mission. We want to ensure that veterans, including those who are here today, see themselves in the monument that will be erected.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Minister, you are avoiding my questions.

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

No.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I'll come back to the issue of veterans. As you know, for the past four years, I've been working very hard for veterans. But this issue isn't about veterans, in my opinion.

Are you aware that the Daoust firm received an offer of financial compensation for lost profits, according to reports?

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

I'm not aware of the details, but I am aware of something along those lines.