Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair and colleagues, thank you for inviting me here today. I'm always pleased to have the opportunity to brief the committee on government business, especially as it relates to veterans and their families.
First, I would like to briefly inform you about two important events that my department, Veterans Affairs Canada, held in Montreal in March—the national stakeholder summit and the Women Veterans Forum. I believe all of you had received invitations. Again, it was really well attended.
More than 300 veterans, stakeholders and community partners attended the two events, with the opportunity to attend in person and online. At both events, we heard directly from the community on key topics. The feedback we received from veterans and stakeholders is invaluable to the work we do to make sure that everyone has access to the supports and services they need.
I'm also pleased to report that the government again recognized, in budget 2024, the need to take care of Canada's veterans. The government is investing in the veteran and family well‑being fund, in telemedicine services and in the commemoration of veterans.
Last year, our government also made significant investments to improve application processing times. This gives veterans more timely access to the services and benefits that they need.
In the main estimates, the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs increased by $229 million compared to last year, bringing the department's total funding to $6.21 billion for fiscal year 2024‑25. This change reflects the government's ongoing commitment to veterans and their families.
As you know, Mr. Chair, the majority of Veterans Affairs Canada's programs are demand driven or otherwise known as quasi-statutory. In this case, the bulk of the increase comes from an additional $202 million to cover a higher demand or increased expenditures related to the income replacement benefit, additional pain and suffering compensation and housekeeping and grounds maintenance.
The balance of the $229-million increase can be attributed to $23.1 million in new funding for collective bargaining and the Logan class action final settlement agreement and $14.8 million to an overall increase in clients and expenditures in treatment and health care.
For the 2023-24 supplementary estimates (C), VAC requested and received $14.1 million in additional program funding to provide services to eligible veterans and their families.
As well, $2.5 million in additional funding will support the refurbishment of the Newfoundland and Labrador national war memorial to construct a tomb of an unknown Newfoundland soldier.
In addition to this funding, Mr. Chair, you will see a $55.6-million transfer from vote 1 to vote 5. This reallocation of resources is related to our annual quasi-statutory adjustment and will allow the department to meet the demand of the program.
The estimates also include a transfer of $2.9 million from the Veterans Review and Appeal Board to Veterans Affairs Canada. This amount will fund the services that the department provides to the board, in order to further improve application processing times.
This additional funding constitutes a significant and necessary investment in the health and well‑being of our veterans and their families. It will help our government continue to provide the care and support that they need and deserve.
Thank you again for inviting me to speak today. I look forward to answering the committee members' questions.