Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise in the House, in two capacities, to speak on the budget implementation act. I am very honoured to represent my home town in Parliament as the member of Parliament for Durham and the communities of Clarington, Scugog and Uxbridge. I wi

Economic Action Plan 2015 Act No. 1  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member well knows, there are provisions in the budget implementation act that will have a profound impact for veterans and their families, which have really been the result of several years of consultation with the ombudsman, with the Standing Committee o

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, the provisions in Bill C-58 will be going to the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs for review, even though most of the provisions in that bill were recommended by that very committee last June. He should stop the rhetoric in the House,

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, as we have rolled out new benefits and programs for veterans and their families, that member has opposed and criticized almost every one, including standing in this House to criticize a new benefit that he recommended last year as part of th

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, as that member knows, we will be supporting the motion later today. In fact, the obligation statement we have made through Bill C-58, now in the budget implementation act, goes much further than that motion. It applies to all veterans and talks about the obligation w

Veterans  Mr. Speaker, as that member well knows, we introduced legislation with the most comprehensive set of reforms and benefits for military veterans and their families since the creation of the new veterans charter. For six weeks, the NDP and the Liberal Party made no comment on this

Veterans Affairs committee  As I said, when you look at the estimates and the public accounts, particularly in areas where there are benefits that are demand driven and that aren't being taken up, we need to educate men and women in uniform about that. We're trying to work with the Canadian Armed Forces to

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. It was an amazing journey to accompany these living heroes. We had 67 veterans and a caregiver on our excursion, and to see the Dutch people continue their love affair with Canada because of the liberation was truly very special. We also have commemorated major milest

Veterans Affairs committee  I have tremendous respect for the people that make up the Equitas Society and for Jim Scott, Major Mark Campbell, and Aaron Bedard. I've met and spoken with several of them. As I've said, I never like to see someone who is frustrated to the point of going to court. I feel that a

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. As someone who has served with some fine reserve units yourself, Mr. Opitz, you know the critical importance from coast to coast. Naval, air, and army reserves have always been...we had a militia before we had a standing military. The respect for reserves, which was t

Veterans Affairs committee  —trying to accomplish different things. This is not intended to be an income support for somebody to leave their career. What the veterans charter also recognizes is that in the 1950s and 1960s military members, and then veterans, would usually have a spouse, usually a wife, goi

Veterans Affairs committee  This is just about temporary relief.

Veterans Affairs committee  Absolutely. Thank you, and I will try and keep it short because I see that the chair is holding me to it. We had a stakeholder summit that, I think, was probably the largest of its kind. It involved traditional membership-driven organizations as well as online peer support organ

Veterans Affairs committee  You're making this hard in one minute, Mr. Valeriote. We estimate $3.5 million in advertising. That has a commemorative aspect, but it also has an important goal of advertising benefits. Some of the new veterans charter benefits are not being taken up. We have to make sure that

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. The Sam Sharpe breakfast was started last year by Roméo Dallaire and me, long before I became minister, where we allowed some veterans to come to talk about their own path to wellness after an operational stress injury or a mental health injury. Sam Sharpe was the MP