Mr. Speaker, throughout this debate people have been speculating about numbers: that 23,000 veterans are being left out; and that costs range, I assume, anywhere from about $200 million to some other number, but only about $20 million to $23 million a year.
I do not know if the member has any information on this, but it has come to my attention that part of the problem may very well be, and I intend to follow up on it because I do support the extension of benefits to all widows, that the total projected costs to widows and widowers would have to be booked in the year in which that decision was taken. All of a sudden it is not so much about finding $20 million this year and $20 million for next year. It is about finding $400 million in one year. This is problematic.
The member may have some ideas on how we can do this. I will certainly pursue this either with the Auditor General or with departmental officials to determine how we, as a Parliament, can get around the accounting obligation to book the entire amount so that we can get on with the objectives that I think we all share, which is to extend pension benefits to all the widows and widowers.