Mr. Speaker, last week in the other place a Senate committee heard from several veterans organizations. They all stated that they were not consulted on the proposed expansion to the war museum that included a Holocaust gallery. The recent controversy regarding the Holocaust gallery could have been avoided if veterans had been consulted.
The Minister of Veterans Affairs has been notably absent throughout this controversy. It is his responsibility to intervene and ensure that adequate consultations take place.
The Senate subcommittee on veterans affairs should be commended for taking it upon itself to allow our veterans to be heard. It was quite evident from the hearings that veterans groups want the Canadian War Museum to be severed from the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
I call upon the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the government to listen to our veterans and do what is necessary to take control of the war museum and place it solely under the auspices of the Department of Veterans Affairs.