Veterans Affairs committee  Over the course of the last few years, we have made a few recommendations for reducing complexity. In fact, when you look at the diagram, it is not as difficult to understand. I think what we're suggesting here is that when you interview people from different countries that you ask specifically the “how” and not the “what”.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think the difficulty at this point is that there is no outcome that is set, so we don't actually know when we get there. In fact, our last few reports have indicated that in some cases veterans are getting more money than they would if they had stayed in the forces uninjured, but it's never at the right time or the right place.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, and committee members. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you as you begin your study of services to veterans in allied nations. I think it is important to look at what other countries are doing to support their veterans in order to keep up with best practices.

Finance committee  Yes, that's a good point. I think that changing the language will facilitate access, assessment, determination. In fact, the allowance was called the permanent impairment allowance before, and it's now called the career impact allowance; yet, when Bill C-55 introduced this particular benefit, it did say that it was to compensate for the loss of capacity to earn for retirement and to progress in the armed forces through the different rank structures.

Finance committee  Yes, thank you. I should correct that: I personally didn't want a transcript, but my communications team has them. We certainly have that information.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. It is important to realize that all of the measures taken by the previous government and the current government have attenuated the negative aspects of the new veterans charter. At the very least, experts could have established objectives. This budget contains measures to fill the gaps, but they are not necessarily elements that were planned.

Finance committee  Exactly.

Finance committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair, committee members, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you my thoughts on Bill C-15, budget implementation act, 2016, No. 1, as it pertains to Canada's veterans. In my five and a half years as Veterans Ombudsman, I have met with and listened intently to the concerns of thousands of Canadian veterans and their families across Canada.

Veterans Affairs committee  The lump sum award is a pain and suffering.... We opted not to mix it with the income replacement types of benefits. We are, right now, doing some work in the pain and suffering area to try to determine what is fair and what is comparative to a police officer, for instance, injured during service.

Veterans Affairs committee  It would be a pleasure. We're here to assist. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm not sure the role of case managers would change. I think what would be happening is that we would become conscious, then, of how one benefit affects another. A lot of times right now, not necessarily case managers but people who administer benefits sometimes work in silos and don't know that a benefit affects another.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's a good point. It goes right back to what we've been saying all along. Have we determined what outcome we want to achieve for people who are going into the vocational rehabilitation program? If it is a full university education, for instance, we need to say that and have a benchmark that allows them to do that.

Veterans Affairs committee  Certainly. As you say, it's a new concept. Looking forward and developing benefits and a new delivery system, a new way of delivering benefits, I think, is what's important. Right now benefits and programs have been designed after missions, based on the needs of the particular individual who served.

Veterans Affairs committee  We are in the process of analyzing the benefits that came into effect last June and of considering their impact. The act, the regulations and the processes must be in operation in order for us to be able to determine the extent to which those benefits are fair. In that situation, what counts is to provide people with an amount so that they can meet their needs when they are faced with the impact of their injuries.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. In answer to your first question, I think this one-stop shop or process should take place as soon as a person is informed of an imminent medical release. It should not be after the date has been set. It should be done as soon as a person has been told, “That's it. You no longer meet universality of service standards, and you will now be released.”