House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2019, with 40% of the vote.
Veterans Affairs March 10th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, there is a backlog of over 44,000 veterans who are waiting for their disability benefits applications to be processed. Behind each one of these applications is a veteran trapped in a benefits backlog boondoggle of the government's own making.
Many veterans have been waiting for over two years. When will the backlog be cleared?
Veterans Affairs February 3rd, 2020
Mr. Speaker, in 2019 the Liberals left $105 million meant for veterans unspent. This, despite the Prime Minister promising he would not do so if elected, and after telling Canadian veterans that they were asking for more than the government could give.
How much of this $105 million would have been given to veterans if they were not trapped in the benefits backlog boondoggle of the Liberal government's making?
Veterans Affairs January 28th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, CTV, Global News and the Toronto Star have all reported that 40,000 veterans are trapped in a benefit backlog boondoggle of the government's own making. Yesterday I asked the minister how many veterans are currently waiting longer than the 16-week standard for a decision on their benefits. He did not answer, so I will ask again. How many veterans are currently waiting longer than the 16-week standard for a decision on their benefits?
Questions on the Order Paper January 27th, 2020
With regard to government expenditures related to Bruyea v Canada (Veteran Affairs): (a) what is the total of all expenditures incurred to date in relation to the case; and (b) what is the itemized breakdown of the expenditures, including estimated staff time?
Questions on the Order Paper January 27th, 2020
With regard to the backlog of veterans waiting for their disability benefits: (a) what is the current status of the backlog; (b) how many veterans are still waiting for their compensation; (c) how many veterans receive less compensation under the new pension program as opposed to the previous program; and (d) what is the government doing to increase compensation for veterans who are now receiving less compensation under the new pension program?
Questions on the Order Paper January 27th, 2020
With regard to the finding of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) in the February 2019 report that some veterans would be “greatly disadvantaged” by the new regime: (a) what specific action, if any, has the Minister of Veterans Affairs taken since the report was released to address the concerns of the PBO; and (b) if no specific action has been taken by the minister, (i) when will action be taken, (ii) why not?
Questions on the Order Paper January 27th, 2020
With regard to government statistics on veterans’ homelessness: what is the current number, or estimated number, of homeless veterans, and what is the breakdown by (i) municipality, and (ii) province?
Veterans Affairs January 27th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, 40,000 veterans are trapped in a benefits backlog boondoggle of the current government's own making. Unable to access the medical benefits they have earned, many of these veterans have been waiting over two years for a decision. There was no backlog in 2015 and 2016.
I have a simple question. How many veterans are currently waiting longer than 16 weeks, which is the standard, for a decision on their benefits?
Battle of Ortona 76th Anniversary December 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, December 28 will mark the 76th anniversary of the Battle of Ortona during the World War II Italian campaign. The battle was described by those who were there as having “the quality of a nightmare”.
The Battle of Ortona took place over the course of eight bitter days during Christmas of 1943. Victory would cost 502 Canadian lives. The best estimates put civilian deaths at 1,300. Sadly, the town had not been evacuated before being overrun by retreating Germans. The fighting in Ortona that Christmas was hand-to-hand.
Ortona is just one example of the extreme sacrifices Canadians made in the hellish conditions of the Italian Campaign. The campaign raged on for one year, 10 months and 22 days. These are sacrifices we must always honour.
Lest we forget.
Business of Supply December 10th, 2019
Madam Speaker, as I was listening to the hon. member, I was reflecting on the fact that many of us have been here for more than two terms. He described the standing committees as being the solution. He may have served on many different ones, as I have, in both minority and majority governments. When I arrived it was a minority government. Regardless of the ideal situation in a standing committee, there is often much dysfunction because the government's agenda extends through its members in the standing committees. A minority government is different, but I have to say that one of the most hostile situations was the first standing committee that I sat on.
We have an issue here. Let us imagine being one of the family members. The member wants to know why it is urgent that we set up a committee. We need to think of the people that China has detained and think of their families. We have to think of how important that issue is to them. There are all of the other issues that are happening to families who are reliant on their market and many other things such as religious freedom.
Respectfully, if this was to go to standing committees, there would be scattered information coming in without a cohesive group of people doing the work that they should be doing in this—