Veterans Affairs committee  Again, Mr. Chair, I don't think that is an answer for me to give, because we receive the file and the decision from the department. In our quasi-judicial capacity of being independent, we take the statement of case from that point and it comes into our schedule and we work on it

Veterans Affairs committee  Are you talking about changes that we make at the board?

Veterans Affairs committee  Again, Mr. Chairman, I can't speak for the department. I can only speak for our board, and we speak through our decisions. Therefore, once the department's initial decision has been overturned, our decisions are sent back to the department, and they're dealt with accordingly. How

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, it was a volume issue. There was a bubble. The reason I asked my director general to answer was that it was before I arrived at the board. I realize that I answer for the board now and previously. There was a movement put forward in 2006 to bring the board membership u

Veterans Affairs committee  That information could be obtained, I believe, but I don't have it with me. Again, that would be something for the department.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's correct, yes. They can go for judicial review and they also have the opportunity to request a reconsideration before the board prior to going to Federal Court. That reconsideration involves their case coming back before the board to determine whether there has been an erro

Veterans Affairs committee  Each case, Mr. Chair, has to be determined on its merits. Therefore, each case is looked at very carefully in order to provide the maximum available benefit to the veteran, and that's how we proceed. We will continue in the future to provide the veteran with the maximum we can.

Veterans Affairs committee  Our work is evolving quite rapidly with more complicated medical conditions as a result of the PTSD cases and those of operational stress issues. We're always working towards educating our members to keep up to date. But with respect to the charter and how we've changed matters,

Veterans Affairs committee  We monitor from the previous year where the requirements were. We set our schedule a year ahead of time—not that it can't be changed. We have identified that those centres are close to where the requirement is. But we've also invested greatly in teleconference facilities, and tha

Veterans Affairs committee  First of all, when the charter was implemented and we started rendering disability awards, it was business as usual for the board and the hearings in the sense that our board at review determines disability entitlement and disability assessments. With the charter coming online, o

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, if I may, I'd like to answer Mr. Stoffer's second question first. The Bureau of Pensions Advocates is a ministerial matter. That group of lawyers would come under the minister in veterans affairs, and we're separate and independent. So I think your question probably i

Veterans Affairs committee  On the first one with respect to the percentages, I also have to underline that when we talk about approval rates, the clients, the veterans, RCMP and Canadian Forces serving members, when they apply under the Pension Act or under the new veterans charter to the department and th

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, that's a matter for the department. All I can speak for is the board.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'd love to say we're the good guys....

Veterans Affairs committee  Again, Mr. Chair, when I talked about benefit of the doubt earlier, I talked about credible evidence, oral testimony, and that any other witnesses can be presented in favour. So when we hear cases on review and even on appeal, any additional evidence, whether it be witnesses or w