Stephen Harper

[Veterans Affairs, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General looked at the veterans' mental health programs put in place, for the first time, by our government. He looked at two programs.

In terms of the rehabilitation program, he said that the department had implemented important mental health assistance mechanisms and that it was responding to veterans' requests under this program in a timely manner. As for the disability benefits program, he said that 94% of veterans are eligible for benefits, but that the process is cumbersome and complex.

The department will uphold those recommendations.

[Public Safety, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said and I will repeat, the statements the Liberal Party leader has made are recklessly irresponsible and false. The fact of the matter is that under the current law and this proposed law, firearms can only be transported between specific locations. They must be in a locked case, they must be in a trunk, and they must be unloaded.

Those are the facts, but we expect this kind of distortion from the party that brought in the long gun registry and is itching to bring it back.

[Public Safety, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the statements made by the leader of the Liberal Party are completely false. The bill does not authorize the carrying of concealed weapons.

On the contrary, there is no “conceal and carry” in this legislation. The fact of the matter is that arms can only be transported between specific locations, and they must be taken by the most direct route. The firearms must be in a trunk, in a locked case, and must be unloaded. Those are the facts.

[Health, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as the government has already said and as the minister has said, this is a terrible series of events that those of us who were raised in the 1960s remember very well.

There was a settlement in the 1990s, but we understand that there are ongoing needs. The department and the minister have been in discussions with the victims association. We look forward to moving forward on this matter.

[National Defence, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that is not what the Auditor General said.

The Auditor General noted that this government has put in place significant mental health support services for our vets and employees of the armed forces. We are very proud of the support we are giving our armed forces.

[Veterans Affairs, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General observed in his report yesterday that it is this government that has put in place most of the mental health services for our vets. He admits that these are very important support services that the government continues to expand.

He examined two programs in particular: the rehabilitation program, in which timely access is being held; on the disability benefits program, he observed that although 94% of eligible recipients are getting benefits, the process is cumbersome and complex.

The government and the department have accepted the recommendations to improve that.

[Northern Development, November 26th, 2014]

Seriously, Mr. Speaker, the only thing shameful here is that the government has provided massive funding to provide support for nutritious food in the north and that has been opposed every step of the way by the New Democratic Party.

The reality, as I have said repeatedly, is that we have put additional monies into this program. We have seen a significant increase in fresh food going to the north, as has been acknowledged. It has also been acknowledged that the costs of that are declining.

The government and the department will accept the recommendations for improvements in the program that are in the Auditor General's report.

[Northern Development, November 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, the federal government is spending over $60 million a year to help people in northern Canada deal with the cost of buying nutritious food.

As a consequence of this funding that we have given to Nutrition North, we have seen a 25% increase in the delivery of healthy foods to the north and a decrease of some 6%, about $100 a month, in food costs for families.

The Auditor General has observed that there could be better information gathering on this program. The department has accepted those recommendations.

[Veterans Affairs, November 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that is not the whole truth.

The Auditor General said that the government has put in place important health supports for veterans, despite opposition from the Liberals and the NDP. Access to rehabilitation programs is timely. As far as the disability benefits program is concerned, 94% of veterans are deemed eligible, but the process is slow and complicated. That is why the department accepted these recommendations for improving the program.

[Veterans Affairs, November 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, of course, the Auditor General's report does not suggest there is underspending in the area of mental health, by any means. It does suggest that in one of the programs the delivery is far too slow and complicated. The department will accept those reports.

In terms of lapsed funding, the government does not know at the beginning of the year how much money will be owed to veterans. It obviously responds to applications by providing more than enough funding. We ensure that veterans are paid in full every year.