Veterans Affairs committee  Exactly.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, record-keeping has improved. The board's function, however, is often to rule in the absence of documentary evidence. But I can say that the record-keeping has improved.

Veterans Affairs committee  In its decisions, the board will regularly say, “Sufficient evidence was provided”, or “The story is credible, and I find in favour of the department.” So there's a hearing component that the department will never be able to do, and that's very important to understand, because the variety of cases and the varying levels of evidence brought forward will always be in the board's domain.

Veterans Affairs committee  Of course, you're talking about the individual who wouldn't want to pass off as being a malingerer.

Veterans Affairs committee  Indeed it is. When you're trying to ascertain the evidentiary foundation of an event occurring in any given case, there are all sorts of evidentiary rules and avenues offered to you. One is obviously a documented report on file of an injury. That's an example of something that is extremely useful.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's a good one. The sheer number in itself creates the workload. I think there are 36,000 claims presently registered with the department. I don't know what creates this need or this quantity of applications; I honestly couldn't tell you. But over the years, we've had years when there were 20,000 or 30,000 claims put forward.

Veterans Affairs committee  It is low.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, and the regular force, the younger military, are more assertive and have a greater knowledge of what their rights are. The more power to them, if they know where to file for and obtain a disability pension.

Veterans Affairs committee  I don't think the objective should be to cut down or circumvent or reduce or increase. I think the objective should be that we all know what we're doing. These are the rules; these are the criteria, and if you're in, you're in. If you're not, you're not. Back in 1999, the Supreme Court was looking at all the disability compensation systems in the country, including disability pensions under the CPP, the Canadian Pension Commission.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm told so, sir.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, indeed--and we have the power, for instance, to make interpretive decisions, which we did about a year and a half ago. We clarified the concept of new evidence on reconsideration and built into the system due diligence, so that people understand that it's important, when they file or claim for something, that they come forward prepared with all the evidence, reasons, and justifications they have up front, so that we can deal with the problem up front.

Veterans Affairs committee  Why not? Good for them.

Veterans Affairs committee  They're asking for us to acknowledge a connection between their illness or disability and their military service.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, not necessarily; not if the come to the Board, because the Department...

Veterans Affairs committee  A disability pension.