Veterans Affairs Committee on Dec. 12th, 2023

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

Thank you, Chair. I always enjoy getting the last word in, so I appreciate that.

I'm going to go, through the chair, to Mr. Harris. If there's somebody else who should answer the two questions I'm going to start with, please let me know. I would appreciate that.

First—and I believe I have this correct—the minister said that since 2015 there has been an increase of $11 billion in investment for the department. I'm wondering if the math has been done around that investment versus the amount that has been returned at the end of every fiscal year, and if that has been done, whether that math could be shared with us.

The second question I have is around the survivor's pension. You know and I think everybody knows that the survivor's pension is of significant concern to me. We know that a lot of senior women are living in poverty because they don't have any benefits from their spouse because they married after 60. We know that in 2019, four years ago now, the announcement was made that $150 million would be put towards a survivor's pension, and every time I've asked so far, what I've heard is that they're still in a process of looking at how that money will be disseminated.

Could the department table with this committee how much money has actually gone out to survivors since 2019 and how many survivors it has supported?

Mr. Harris, go ahead.

[Steven Harris]

For the question on the financials, I would ask Ms. Lantz to respond.

[Sara Lantz]

Thank you for the question.

We do have a detailed analysis of all the surpluses or the lapses against our full budgetary authorities each year. I believe I just signed off on a response to you on that with the details.

We analyze that every year and the reason for that. In the most recent years, we have had a little bit more surplus than in others due to the volatility in predicting our forecasted expenditures. We've come down below the 5% again, which is our annual target.

I would just remind you that any of those lapsed funds that are part of the quasi-statutory amount we do not lose. They go back into the bank account for when a veteran comes forward. We're essentially trying to forecast what is needed within a fiscal year, but if that funding is not used up in that fiscal year, it is available when the veteran may come forward in a future year.

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

What about the question of marriage after 60? I didn't get a response on that. I just asked if that could be tabled with the committee. If I could get confirmation that it would be tabled, I would be happy with that response.

[A witness]

That could be tabled.

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

Yes. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you very much.

We welcomed four assistant deputy ministers during this second hour, including, by videoconference: Mr. Steven Harris, assistant deputy minister, service delivery branch; also by videoconference, Ms. Amy Meunier, assistant deputy minister, commemoration and public affairs branch; Ms. Sara Lantz, assistant deputy minister, chief financial officer and corporate services; and Mr. Pierre Tessier, assistant deputy minister, strategic policy, planning and performance branch.

On behalf of the members of the committee and on my own behalf as well, thank you for participating in this meeting.

I don't know if you noticed that the clerk this afternoon was Ms. Carine Grand-Jean, and that she accompanied us perfectly during the meeting. I'd like to thank her for that. I also thank the interpreters, who were with us on site, as well as the technicians.

Members of the committee, my plan personally is to come back next year.

I don't know, Mr. Richards....

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

I was just going to say we might try to ruin those plans and see if we can call an election. No, that wasn't actually what.... We tried that 135 times last week so....

Actually what I wanted to do was to ask you about Thursday. What are the plans for Thursday's committee business?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I don't have any other instructions, but personally, I spoke to the clerk and said, “Wow—we have a lot of motions. Maybe we should be having a subcommittee and discussing all of those and starting a new session in January.”

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

Okay. That's understood.

What about the drafting instructions for the women's study? Are we planning on doing that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes. For the women's study, the analyst has told me that he has already started the report, but he said he's going to present something to us. He said it would be too difficult to ask you guys to bring your recommendations. It's going to be a lot of work, because it's....

He can say a few words.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Committee Researcher]

You should receive a draft early next year. I've been writing the draft. I'm not waiting for the end of the study. You should be receiving something quite early in the new year, and then I would expect you to react to that with potential recommendations to add to it. I think I'm covering most of the issues that have been brought up and are of interest to the committee. Of course, I will have forgotten a few.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Desilets, you have the floor.

You don't have the last word, Ms. Blaney.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As I understand it, we're going to go through the motions, and there are several. I think there are several motions on the Conservative side that we haven't dealt with yet.

Would it be possible to tidy up these motions? Could we have motions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 12 sent to us?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

It will be my pleasure.

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

Thank you. That's perfect.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I'll ask the clerk to send us the motions based on the dates they were filed as well, because there are actually several.

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

I think some motions are only at the notice of motion stage.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes. These are just notices of motion. We can debate them in committee.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Go ahead, Ms. Blaney.

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

Thank you so much, Chair.

I just wanted to see if the analyst would like us to send any recommendations that we may have to help him while he's writing.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré]

The issue here is that the recommendations you will send me I've probably already considered—maybe not all of them. The issue is that, in the first draft, I do not want to receive contradictory recommendations, because it makes it very difficult to argue, prior to the recommendations, why it is there. If I receive “A” and “non-A”, I cannot argue for both at the same time in the same draft.

I would encourage you to trust that I've been fair and wide on the issues. Then you will have the opportunity to react to the draft when it's—

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

I could just send recommendations and everybody else could agree not to.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré]

You can send them to me and then—