Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I'm referring to this committee and to the deputy minister. I think what's required right now is legislation for the mandate and a discussion within a learned body of people who can effect change. I think the 10 priorities, less the legislated mandate, are doable to

Veterans Affairs committee  No, Mr. Chair. Once again I've been very much divorced from that. Since the press conference on August 17, I have committed myself to the veterans. I have spent my time engaging Canadians to describe to them exactly what their sons and daughters and their brothers and sisters wil

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, that's a very broad question. In my experience, particularly in my capacity as an ombudsman, because people come to me with their problems, more often than not the problem is that the money has disappeared. It has vaporized. Bearing in mind that there are other fin

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I do, absolutely. We were building that capacity, recognizing that we have a very small staff. I have to say that even with the briefing packages we've submitted we're punching above our weight to achieve that, but I very much feel that the Office of the Veterans Om

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, that's an excellent suggestion. I think it lends itself to the inclusiveness that I'm hoping to generate in that particular document, so we'll definitely put that on the list.

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, with all due respect, certainly the Privy Council Office suggested very strongly that was my reporting chain; however, on April 3, 2007 when the Prime Minister announced the formation of this office, he stated that it would operate at arm's length from government. S

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, many of the points have certainly been presented to the department and/or to the minister. I couldn't comment on how current we are because, as I say, I have for all intents and purposes embarked on a campaign separate from the day-to-day running within the office.

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, in reflection, with Minister Thompson, I don't recall ever receiving any formal replies to anything. I may be mistaken on that, but I have to say, certainly in retrospect, that relationships were extremely strained at that point in time. To Minister Blackburn's cr

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, first and foremost, I have to say that I have dissociated myself from many of the day-to-day operations within the office, because I feel that on August 17 I was not credible, if you will, to be dealing with the department and the people I've become so actively enga

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I couldn't agree more. As I've said, the board must make efforts to become completely transparent. That's the nature of a democracy and it's one of the principles of natural justice. It's not that justice is done; it's the perception that justice is done. Right

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would applaud the sense of urgency with which the elected government addressed some of the issues. I would certainly express a great deal of gratitude to the Canadians who expressed their outrage at some of the revelations that I had to make in order

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman—

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I would submit that the entire new Veterans Charter is clearly an attempt—and once again it transcends the government of the day—to unload the financial liability, the long-term financial burden, that the government carries with injured, wounded veterans, and I woul

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I'd say categorically not. In fact, in the deputy minister's policy statement regarding the sharing of information with the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman, she clearly states that she will determine what information she will release to me so as not to constrain my

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, suffice it to say that in the early days of my tenure as Veterans Ombudsman, I encountered several members who shall remain nameless, several senior members of both the board and the department, who expressed to me that they have an obligation as public servants to