Thank you.
What we heard from Mr. Richards, who's still having a conversation on the other side, is that it's the Prime Minister's fault we had a delay in this Afghan monument. In fact, as we've already heard today, it was the Conservatives who initially chose the wrong spot for this monument. The veterans were enraged with the location the Conservatives decided to put this monument on 10 years ago. You couldn't walk there in the winter. It was flooded in the spring. Now he wants to take us back to the beginning of the process and start it all over again.
Mr. Richards is really enjoying this, laughing and talking to his friends, while we're trying to have a conversation.
There's no delay to the monument, while we have these conversations. Just because there's a delay at the committee to get documents that you want to unearth, it doesn't mean there's a delay in actually building the monument for veterans, which is what veterans really want.
We've heard the Conservatives say that the Prime Minister was responsible for starting the fires in B.C.; that he's responsible for global inflation; that he's responsible for the delay in this monument. It's a witch hunt. It's not creating the delay in building this monument. The delay was caused when the Conservatives didn't consult with veterans before they decided where they were going to build this monument.
The monument is getting built. Veterans should be assured of that.
I'm a recent addition to this committee, and I have to say that I was blown away by the women veterans study. I want to thank MP Blaney for bringing that forward. I learned so much from that study. I think the public will want to read that to understand what's in it. This committee can accomplish really good work.
Right now it's just partisan games. We're not doing anything to build the monument by completing this study. The monument is getting built. It's just a witch hunt.
This is supposed to be a planning meeting. It's supposed to be in camera so that we can set out what our next study is going to be. I believe Ms. Blaney has another great idea for a study that we can follow...the experience of veterans. I can't remember exactly what it was. Why don't we get onto that page? Why are we rehashing old stuff that's not having any effect on veterans today?
We should be trying to make a difference for veterans today. We should be trying to improve their lives. We should be making sure they get health care, for example, when they leave the service.
Anyway, this is just partisan games, and I hope people who are watching understand that. It's not causing any delay in this monument. We believe it should be built quickly and properly, and that's going to happen regardless of what happens at this committee.
Thank you, Chair.