I have questions in several areas, but before I get to those questions, at the beginning of the meeting with the minister, we had a conversation about the lack of respect that I believe has been shown to veterans by the minister's failure to show up for the two-hour time frames that she's been requested to show up for. That's the time for veterans to have their questions answered through us.
The minister made a statement so confidently that it made me question whether I had even been accurate in what I was saying. I actually had to go back to triple-check to make sure. She stated that she believed she'd been here previously for two-hour periods. I went back and triple-checked, and that wasn't the case. This committee invited the minister for two hours in October, and she came for one. At that point we as a committee had a discussion about expressing our displeasure. It was ultimately decided that we wouldn't do that because maybe there was a good excuse.
In December she was again asked to come for two hours. She came for one hour. We even gave her an extension of the time we were asking for so that she could accommodate the two hours, and still she came for only one. This time around we also asked for two hours. The committee had a vote on that. We clearly expressed our wishes that she'd be here for two hours.
This is becoming a pattern. It's the time that we have to hold the minister accountable to veterans, and it's not being respected. Therefore, I move the following:
That committee report to the House of Commons its deep disappointment that the Minister of Veterans Affairs has once again disrespected veterans by not fulfilling her obligation to appear publicly before the committee for the time requested of her, showing disregard for Canadian veterans who expect transparency and accountability from the government.