Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his service. He is a veteran himself and should be commended for everything that he has given to this country so that we can have everything that we do have.
I recognize that he was the minister responsible for this file toward the end of the 10 years of the Conservative government's mandate. The truth of the matter is that we lost so much for our veterans during that 10-year period. Some 25% of the staff was eliminated. The new veterans charter that he referenced was supposed to be a living document, yet it was virtually untouched for 10 years. Right now we are in the process of clawing our way back, trying to restore to veterans what they deserve.
While the member had seen everything that happened in the nine years and three months under the Conservative government leading up to his time as being the minister, he did not make any significant steps during the nine months that he had to make real progress, which is what we are seeing right now, despite our having a debate over the amount of what is being done. I would like to hear the member's comments on that.