Mr. Speaker, the hon. member basically outlined some of the items that I was hoping to get into but four minutes goes pretty quickly. I will respond in saying that this is the problem: The government is allowing one year for benefits to be paid but these spouses need that money not only for one year but until the time that they move on to the other world. Why has the government allowed for one year only?
What are the spouses going to do? Are they going to sit back and go on welfare? No. We as a country have to make sure that these spouses of war veterans are taken care of until they pass on. Of course, the government, in my view and in the view of a lot of spouses, said that there was a promise made to extend benefits for longer than one year, and they are only being supplied for one year.
I say to the government members that it is time that this is revisited and the benefits should be there not only for one year but until the spouses expire and move on. They deserve more than just one year, because their husbands fought for a free country and they ended up getting a raw deal from governments in the past. It is time for this government to make it right.