Mr. Speaker, as we know, a veteran's dog could be a real gift to him or her and actually to VAC as well, a medical assistance of sorts, a proactive preventative treatment that means fewer pharmaceuticals, less cost to the government, and a healthier veteran if we were to provide this service immediately as a priority rather than delaying its coming into place.
The Laval study clearly indicates national standards need to be established. A dog has a medical purpose and there need to be well-defined standards for what constitutes a legitimate service dog.
There are two university studies going on in my province right now that could be used immediately to help come up with the answers we need. Anyone wanting to either donate or sell service dogs to our veterans needs to conform to a standard so veterans can be sure they are getting dogs from ethical providers. Unfortunately, as in all sectors of the economy, there are those in this field who would appear to want to attempt to make a lot of money if not restricted. We need to ensure that vulnerable veterans in need of this service are protected and that VAC has developed a network of certified providers, that they are available, and they are ready.
I want to know if the minister is aware of the conflict-of-interest issues that have plagued the development of a national standard for veterans service dogs and the role that has played in these veterans not receiving the care they should have right now.