Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his remarks and for that important question.
To get back to what happened, on the way out of a meeting with the minister, dozens of veterans expressed their disagreement and distress with regard to the office closures. Some of these veterans were in tears because the Minister of Veterans Affairs simply did not show them any respect.
What is more, he also did not respect the new veterans charter, signed by the current Prime Minister. Under one of the first sections of this charter, all veterans have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. Clearly, that begins with their minister, the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
In my opinion, the minister failed in his obligation to respect veterans. He read us some semblance of an apology, which I did not believe because I do not feel he showed any compassion at all. If he wants to apologize, he should reverse his decision to close these offices and do something about the problems our soldiers are experiencing. If he focuses on doing that, then we will accept his apology.